Chapter Text
Heroes never die. When they pass on, their will and determination are born again in another world that desperately needs their spark. Their passion and hope.
This is one tale. A tale of a mighty hero reborn, reshaped in the mold of another universe.
A tale of Uzumaki Naruto on a turbulent Earth when the age of a new war between man and Omnics is about to unfold.
On the Streets of Odiaba, Minato Ward - Tokyo, Japan
Nightfall
The lights of Odiaba reflecting off the ocean currents were dazzling. The Ferris wheel's vibrant lights, along with the rest of Ward, could be seen for miles out.
Walking down the streets was a young man with blonde, spikey locks. He wore what seemed at first a simple orange tracksuit with blue hems and stripes down the sides, to go with similarly themed track pants. But what was peculiar was that on the backside, there was a peculiar mechanism pulsing with swirling orange and blue light.
Like that of a spiral.
He whistled as he did, taking in the street life through his visor. He adjusted the cuff of his jacket over his blue-sleeved long, tight suit underneath. So long, in fact, that there was no differentiation between the sleeve and glove. As if they were one.
There was a shimmer of light that reflected off the palm of his gloves before he pocketed his hands into his jacket. He glanced around and frowned, making note of a group of hooligans behind him. This was his domain, and not a soul otherwise could dispute it! He was the best there was and the best there ever will be! And he’d knock anyone down who disagreed!
But since they weren’t up to no good for right now, he would let them be. The moment they stirred some trouble and wanted to start something with him, he’d let ‘em have it!
“Mark ‘em, just to be sure,” the young man muttered under his breath, keeping up a confident face as he strode forward with a broad, confident grin.
His cerulean eyes gleamed, reflecting the nightlife, the shadows of his spiky locks swaying across his forehead. He enjoyed just casually wandering the streets. Didn’t have a goal in mind. Just want to soak in the night.
Make sure no upstart was attempting to poach his territory!
There were rumors that a few new gangs had risen to prominence and were attempting to push into the area. And that wasn’t happening on his time! Odaiba was his territory and was gonna take it from him!
Not that he was interested in starting a gang, or anything like that. This was his home. He would protect it from all threats! Thugs, criminals… Terrorists and crazed Omnics who wished to enslave humanity.
…how he missed the days when he was but a child and didn’t realize how bad things truly were. If only he could go back to a time like that, enjoy the simpler things.
…speaking of enjoyment…
“Is this easy mode?” echoed from the blue earpiece nestled in the boy’s left ear, one with a particular rabbit emote on it. A Holovid was deployed in the left peripheral of a digital visor he wore over his eyes.
A live feed of a pink MEKA acting her matrix, shutting down their opposition's fire before counter blasting them with her own. Tearing apart several Gwishin Omnic drones with terrifying ease.
“Darn right it is,” the young blonde grinned, able to keep an eye on the action as he walked down the streets without hampering his vision.
On the right side, blue and green dots pulsed on screen. What was interesting was that there were a few notable red marks that he was tracking, slowly following behind him. It lined up with several young men, wearing a variety of loose Hawaiian shirts, tank tops, and expensive-looking chinos. Or they could be off-brand look-alikes. These guys didn’t look like they could afford it.
So they were up to something, after all. Hmph, he’d have to keep an eye on them. He wanted to give ‘em the benefit of the doubt and see if they were gonna do anything first before acting. But for the meantime…
It wasn’t like he was gonna miss a live stream from one of his favorite streamers of all time!
“Gift fifty subs,” the blonde teenager spoke aloud as he walked, raising a few eyebrows and a few head turns.
It didn’t bother him. He simply grinned as he could hear his favorite streamer, in the middle of combat, gasp in surprise. “Oh! Golden Inari with the fifty! Thank you so much! This one is for you! …Nerf this!”
Golden Inari chuckled as the one and only D.VA piloted her MEKA, swiftly evading the oncoming fire from Gwishin Omnics before diving in and tearing through the last remaining ones with her guns. “GG! Thanks again, Golden Inari. Love, D.VA!”
Ah! Inari immediately repressed the urge to dance and jot in the middle of the street. If he just lived in Korea, maybe he’d have a chance to meet with her! Perhaps get a chance to use his alluring charm…
“Naruto!” A group of three pre-teen kids rushed toward Naruto, each carrying several plush toys in triumph.
“Yo, hold ya horses! What’s going on?” Naruto raised his brow before glowering at the three. “And I thought I told ya’ll to call me boss!”
“Ah, sorry about that, boss! I got carried away!” The clear leader of the trio of kids sheepishly shrank.
“Mah, whatever. You ain’t hurt me. Just remember next time, got it!” Naruto scrunched his brow to give an air of menace about himself. That didn’t last long as his demeanor softened, glancing amongst all the plushes. “Now what is all this about? Ya’ll didn’t break a claw machine, did ya? We don’t do that here! Not on my watch!”
“We used the trick you taught us!” The girl with orangish-red hair to their leader’s left grinned, holding up a fox and rabbit plush.
“We won so many that the vendor threw us out… thought we were cheating.” The mild-mannered boy, to their enthusiastic leader’s right, glumly stated.
“Ya did, did ya?” Naruto pursed his lips before letting out a snort and smirk. “Oh, well. Guess you’ll have to take that skill and use it elsewhere! There are claw machines everywhere. No big loss.”
“Right! That’s what I said before we ran into ya!” The leader, wearing a blue headband over his forehead just like his boss, grinned before jostling through the plushes in his possession. “Hand on here, boss! We got a cut for you!”
“Mah, it’s cool. I don’t take cuts. Just keep having fun and…” Naruto waved the kid off, ready to take his leave, seeing the kids having fun. However, what he saw caused him to go rigid. His eyes quivered at the cute pink robot plush that pulled out. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Uh-huh! Just came out today! The new plush of D.VA’s MEKA, Tokki! I had to make sure I won it! Here ya go, boss!” The kid tossed it, and Naruto had no other option than to catch it, after fumbling it for a brief moment.
With a narrowing of his eyes and a frown, Naruto groaned. Digging into the outside pockets of his tracksuit and then his pants’ pockets, Naruto glowered. “Where is it…”
“Safely secured in the left side, belt compartment, along with your wallet and your signed autograph photo of Ms. Hana Song that you won in a lottery. Would you like me to retrieve it for you?” A robotic voice echoed over the stream he was listening to in his left ear.
“Do it, Kurama,” Naruto nodded. Following his words, a pouch connected to the orange mechanical belt around his waist opened, and two tickets were ejected from their storage. Naruto caught them in his left hand before roughly forcing them into the kid leader’s hand. “Here. These are tickets to LEGOLAND I won. Was gonna take a cute girl on a date, but you can have them.”
“But boss…” The kid frowned, looking baffled as he shook his head.
“No buts, Konohamaru!” Naruto snapped before sighing. Hand on his hip, he flashed a grin. “Consider it a trade. You got something I wanted, now we’re even. Cool?”
“Sure thing, boss!” Konoha saluted before his face fell. “Wait… There are only two.”
“That means one of us…” The girl’s lip sadly quivered.
“…won’t be able to go.” The dour boy added, somehow even more sullen than usual.
“Mah, I’ll figure something out! I’ll have another ticket for you tomorrow, just watch!” Naruto patted Konohamaru on the head, his eyes twinkling as he walked past.
“You’re the best boss! Moegi, Udon! I know of another crane game nearby! Let’s go!” Konoha boasted as Naruto gave a carefree wave.
“Take care, you lot,” Naruto whispered as they walked by his targets.
“Naruto, they have been eyeing you suspiciously for some time now. I suggest countermeasures. I have dialed…” His AI, Kurama, addressed him urgently.
“Nah, I’ll deal with these punks,” Naruto snorted, locating a suitable alley to engage these interlopers.
“That is highly discouraged,” Kurama lamented, showing their disapproval.
“Why, because that half-American cop keeps telling me not to do things my way? Stupid Bringer… Always telling me what to do! The jerk…” Naruto smoldered, annoyed that his artificial intelligence was telling him off while he made sure this alley would be suitable for a scuffle.
Just like his mother.
“Precisely, cause he is correct and it's the law! …and because your mother is calling,” Kurama added with a hint of snarkiness in his tone. “Shall I patch her in?”
“Yes! And do not hang up on her again, or I swear…!” Naruto panicked, seeing his mother’s face pop onto his visor along with the ringing icon.
“Took you long enough! Time to…” One of the thugs playing Yakuza grunted, popping his knuckles.
“Shush! Mom’s calling! I’ll deal with you idiots in just a minute!” Naruto hushed him, holding out his hand and a single finger as he tapped his headphone. “Yo, mom, how’s it…”
“Don’t you Yo me, mister! You get your butt back home right now!” Kushina screeched so loudly over his earpiece that it not only caused Naruto to recoil fearfully, but even the thugs stumbled back.
“Mom, I can explain…” Naruto tried to plead his case.
“No! Home! Now! You can explain to me face-to-face why you failed your college entry exams!” Kushina snapped, ending the call with a slam of her phone.
“Shit, I’m dead,” Naruto mumbled, visibly deflating.
“Would you like me to make arrangements for your funeral? Burial or cremation. I’ve found deals on both.” Kurama added with some sass.
“Had it up to hear with ya. This is just like the flight incident all over again!” Naruto clicked his tongue in annoyance at his AI, gaze narrowing as the thugs approached.
“Ya done with your mommy.” The obvious leader of the pretend Yakuza wannabees strolled forward, hands in his pocket. “Or do you need her permission… Gak!”
A flash of blue light caught the thug in the chest, knocking him back and over several trash cans. Smoke sizzled from the impact of the beam, and his outer clothes smoldered, but besides a few burnt chest hairs and some redness, there were no other visible wounds.
“Okay, I don’t have time for this,” Naruto growled, his right hand extended forward.
Palm open, revealing an advanced mechanical device attached to his blue gloves, glowing with blue light. The device was interwoven with his glove, following his fingertips, where five smaller devices, similar to the other but glowing with a mysterious orange light, lay firmly interwoven into the stiff cloth fiber.
Finally, the light of the mechanism on his back glowed brightly, lighting the alley behind him.
“What… What the heck was that?!” One of the still conscious thugs proclaimed, stumbling back in shock and a little awe.
“I don’t care! Jump him before he can do it again!” The rest of the posey jumped toward Naruto, planning to pile on him and beat him down.
“Activating, smokescreen.” Kurama initiated the program, several vents opened on the belt Naruto wore, and thick white smoke poured out. It only took a matter of milliseconds for the smoke to obscure the alleyway.
The two fell into the void of white smoke while the last trembled. All the thug could hear was the smack of flesh and the painful grunts of his friends. The sound of trash cans being overturned. He swore he even heard the crack of a bone or two.
“No, no, no!” One of his friends scrambled out of the smoke, crawling for his life, desperately reaching for him to help.
Only to scream as he was dragged back in, followed by a heavy metal slam.
And through the smoke, Naruto stepped out of the fading smoke. His hands were in his jacket pockets, staring blandly at the final thug. Behind him, buried in a trash can, was one of his friends. The other was held off the ground by his ankles by some kind of wire fastened to the wall of the alley.
“Are we done here?” Naruto spooked the final thug as the image of two other versions of himself walked out alongside him, looking just as agitated and annoyed.
“Uh-uhuhuh!” The last thug screamed, running with his tail between his legs out of the alley, abandoning his so-called friends.
Failing to see the two other Narutos flicker and fade away as simple holograms.
“Heh, easy mode,” Naruto chuckled, running his gloved hand through his locks before wincing. “Ahk, now comes hard mode. Kurama, do a quick run through of all possible outcomes where my ass isn’t grass.”
“That is statistically impossible. I would be better running diagnostics to ensure all programs are functioning nominally in the case of your survival.” Kurama responded, almost sounding amused.
“Then do that, then. Once you're done with that, gather a compilation of terrorist attacks from this last week.” Naruto rolled his eyes at his AI as he proceeded to languishly walk out of the alley and back onto the main street.
The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his mother. But, Naruto felt there was so much more out for him in the world than just school. He knew that he could use his talents out in the world in so many other ways. His home, nay, world needed talents like his now. Not in the future.
The problems with the Omnic. Null Sector. Mysterious terrorist organizations. The world was in chaos. It needed heroes.
And Uzumaki Naruto aspired to be one, just like his father.
Small Apartment in Odaiba
Naruto felt an ominous presence as he clicked the door shut behind him. The tension in the air left it frigid, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.
Standing in the kitchen of their humble and quaint apartment, gadgets and tools strewn on counters and various tables, was Naruto’s fiery mother. She didn’t even bother to look in his direction as she continued to chop the vegetables for their dinner tonight in a violent manner. She was cutting into the cutting board with each chop, as her long, majestic red hair mystified and baffled science, flowing upward into nine separate strands.
Naruto knew he was dead.
“Uh, hi, Mom! How’s it going?” Naruto forced a chipper attitude, only to freeze as his mother’s eyes heatedly locked onto his.
“Why?” Kushina gnarled her lips and gnashed her teeth, drilling a hole through Naruto’s head with her sharp gaze. “All these years, all you’ve said is you wanted to follow in your father’s footsteps. To become a hero just like your father…”
Naruto stayed silent. He knew speaking while his mother was ranting was futile. It would only serve to incite her further and unleash the beast surging within. Nothing he could say could quell the fury that was burning within. His mother was a former JSDF service member, and when she got upset…
“Yet, Naruto, there is something you seem to have forgotten,” Kushina whispered, looking away and out the window of their kitchen to see the brilliant lights of the Ferris wheel in the distance. “Your father wasn’t just a hero. He was a brilliant scientist. One you take after! Just look at this!” Kushina gestured toward the gadgets lying around, then to a nearby Holovid screen that showed a cute chibi Nine-Tailed fox curled into a ball. “Look at Kurama and tell me someone who can create something as marvelous and breathtaking as him that you couldn’t pass your entrance exams! You created a sentient artificial life! Why can’t you ever take school seriously?!”
“Because my talents are needed elsewhere,” Naruto finally answered with a solemn tone. “Kurama, play the vod,” Naruto asked, gesturing to the Holovid screen.
On it played the horrific attack of Null Sector on London. D.VA’s livestream of the Gwishin attack on Busan—the news of the attempted assassination of Volskaya Industries by the nefarious but unknown terrorist organization.
“Look at what’s going on in the world and tell me, what is going to school right now gonna accomplish?” Naruto asked as he gravely strode forward while Kushina watched the horrific attacks.
Naruto passed through the minimal living room, with a zataku table with three zabuton cushions set around it on a tatami mat, and into the kitchen, where his mother was. With a sigh, he hung his head. “I know Dad was an amazing scientist. I wanna be just like him. But with how everything in the world is right now, is that really viable? Who knows when something like this will happen here? I don’t want anything to happen to all the kids, my friends… You.”
“Naruto…” Kushina withered, looking despondent and depressed. She bit her lip and looked away. “You are so much like your father. Placing the burdens of everyone on your shoulders instead of looking after yourself.”
“What can I say, I come by it naturally!” Naruto forced a wide smile and modest laugh.
“That you do,” Kushina sighed, looking back into her son’s eyes. “Just… Don’t do anything rash. I don’t know what if I were to lose you too.”
“Put on my spare suit I made for you and go on a vengeful spree of bloodlust and destruction?” Naruto attempted to lighten the mood.
“…you watch too much anime,” Kushina snorted, rolling her eyes, resuming chopping vegetables in a much finer and delicate manner. “Go get washed up. Dinner is almost ready.”
“Will do!” Naruto chirped, proceeding to head to the bathroom, turning on the sink.
Taking off his tracksuit jacket as the door closed, Naruto exhaled as he set his visor and earpiece aside. Beneath his jacket, he wore a blue suit, layered with a mechanical frame connected to the mechanism located on his back. Unzipping his suit from the front, Naruto peeled it off until his chest and arms were free, and the top half of the suit.
Dipping his hands in the water, Naruto splashed some on his face before dabbing some soap to wash his hands. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he chuckled at the sweat-drenched body. “Gah, I need a shower. This suit is too skin tight…” Naruto screwed his face thoughtfully, “Maybe I should add some form of coolant…”
“Oh, I forgot to mention that you had a package come in! I left it just inside your room!” Kushina shouted from outside.
“Package?” Naruto perked his brow, sliding back into his suit and zipping it up, picking up his visor before he stepped back out of the bathroom.
“It was an international package. From Korea, I think.” Kushina responded before slyly grinning. “Given all the logos on it matching all that merchandise you have, I think it's from the girl you watch streaming all the time. That cute Korean girl, I believe.”
“Huh? I didn’t order anything recently,” Naruto screwed his face, unable to recall buying merch, opening his door to his room.
Sure enough, there was a large box stamped with D.VA’s symbol. It left him further confused as he recognized the address. It was certainly from the same place where the merchandise was sold.
“Maybe I did order something,” Naruto muttered as he examined the box before grabbing his box cutter from his desk and leaving his visor behind.
“That would be a negative. I have no records of you making a purchase this month.” Kurama appeared on the Holoscreen on Naruto’s desk.
A desk that, much like the house, had gizmos and tools strewn about it. But alongside it, and on the trio of layered shelves above it, were models, figurines, and plushies. Not just of D.VA or her wonderful mech. However, those were absolutely the most prominent amongst his collection. He had an entire shelf dedicated to D.VA merch!
The others were old Overwatch collectibles. An action figure of the Japanese legend, Genji. He had models of the legendary crusader Reinhardt. Of Anna and Soldier 76. Of Winston! He even had the infamous Tracer figurine!
Oh, the controversy over how well-defined her rear was on the figurine was gold! He had to have this model!
But amongst them were photos. Photos that belonged to his father. His father was standing alongside his peers, dwarfed by some and dwarfing others. All those photos led to one in particular. A family photo of Naruto was a young boy standing between his parents, enjoying a nice day out. And by that photo, there was a medallion.
A medallion that his father accepted when Overwatch called on him.
“I think it was a few days ago, during one of her streams, she said something about paying me back after another fifty sub drop. Maybe this is her appreciation?” Naruto reasoned after setting down his newly acquired plush amongst his other D.VA merchandise on its own shelf.
“That is wishful thinking. Many streamers say such things,” Kurama lamented as Naruto went to the box, squatting over and cutting it open.
It was filled with packing peanuts, surrounding a smaller but several-foot-long box within. And attached to the back was a hand-scribbled letter. A letter with handwriting he recognized, for it was the same as his autographed photo of Hana Song.
Dear Golden Inari,
I don’t even know where to begin. Your constant support and generosity in every single stream is inspiring! I can assure you that all the money you spend is being put to good use, all of it going toward keeping the fight going. You should see what I have planned for our next MEKA model! It’s going to be better than ever! I guarantee it!
I wanted to find something meaningful to give you, to show that I genuinely appreciate your support. I wasn’t sure what, though, until I clicked on your channel and saw the Tech Videos you posted.
You don’t know how impressed I was! The in-depth anatomy of artificial intelligence and the creation of one! Kurama is such a cutie! And the invitation on the Energy Repulsor and generator design is astounding. And the Exosuit you built to withstand the pressure exerted when wielding them is amazing! I would love to take a look at your design one day! Maybe collaborate in the future. ;)
But I have to admit, on your failed flight attempt, I couldn’t help but laugh in spite of you crashing through a building and landing on a car. Kurama was so sassy during it, it put a smile on my face as I recover myself. I hope you recovered quickly from your injuries after that incident. I know how hard it is to stay still and keep innovating while making sure everything works properly! I get told all the time I work too hard and to take it easy!
P.S. I’m writing this after having to Overlord the core of Tokki III. I might not have been as okay as the media led on to believe. :(
…Whoops, I lost track of what I was writing! My B!
I thought something like this would be perfect for someone as innovative as yourself. It’s the salvaged right arm of Tokki II. You can keep it as a souvenir if you wish, but just from watching a few of your vods, I think I know what you will do. Have fun with it, and I do really mean it when I said I wish for a collab in the future!
Love, D.VA
Best Wishes, Hana Song
Naruto’s eyes flickered as he read the letter. He felt his spine shiver several times while his stomach flipped even more. It felt like he was on cloud nine! Hana Song, the D.VA, responded to him and wanted to collab!
That was all he ever dreamed of!
His heart felt as if it was going to explode! It was racing so fast it felt it had run a marathon on its own!
And then he came to the last paragraph, and his heart almost stopped.
In a blur of orange and blue, Naruto raced to his desk, gently placing the letter on his D.VA/Hana Song shelf before dropping the box on his desk with a heavy thud. He ripped open the lid and retrieved what was inside.
It may have been the battle-worn and waterlogged remnants of Tokki II’s Gatling turret arm, but it was a piece of D.VA’s MEKA! How did she get permission to send this to him?!
Of course, a piece of him just wanted to restore it to its original intent and put it on his shelf.
And then there was the voice in the back of his mind. Telling him how sick it would look if he were to turn it into a gauntlet on his Exosuit, adding more firepower in the event there was a terrorist incident in Tokyo, like there was in London.
His inner desire one out as Naruto rifled through his drawers searching for very specific tools. From screwdrivers to a pocket-wielding torch, pliers, and a variety of tools he may need, excitement coursed through Naruto. Checking to ensure he had extra circuit boards and pulling out his Dad’s old laptop for notes, he was ready to get to work!
“Kurama, run a diagnosis. I want a blueprint before I crack it open. I want to know how this thing ticks so I can adapt it to our Exosuit.” Naruto grasped his visor, sliding it back on over his eyes, seeing the data rapidly displayed on his screen.
“Dinner!” Kushina’s voice came from the door after a series of gentle knocks.
Without receiving an answer, the door opened, and Kushina peeked in to see her son entranced, taking a marvel of modern technology and preparing to take it apart and repurpose it. She paused at the door, a knowing expression washed over her features, and her eyes twinkled. “I’ll bring you a plate. Just don’t stay up all night working.”
“Thanks, Mom. I promise I won’t.” Naruto had begun to snap off the pink exoskeleton that remained to get to work.
“Uh-huh. I know better than that.” Kushina snorted, but held a wry smile as she walked away, proud of her son.
…even if she was disappointed that he purposely flunked his entrance exams just to get out of schoolwork.
He certainly was her child.
Omake - The Stream Hana referenced
“Alright, everything looks good! Nothing in the way if something were to go haywire. We’re just about ready to go!” Naruto confidently grinned as he stood in a cleared-out alleyway. “Kurama, is the video feed live? Why can’t I see chat?”
“Stream crashed for a moment. Allow me to… There.” Kurama solved the crux of the issue, and chat messages began to flash on his visor’s screen
From the encouraging saying this was going to be epic to those who hoped he would crash, Naruto stood proudly, cracking his knuckles and looking down at his propulsion cores in the palms of his hands. “Alright, chat! Set up is all done! Sorry, it took a bit, but we’re just about ready for our first flight trial! Ya’ll ready for this!”
The messages were in a fervor and difficult to keep pace with. The number of followers, subscribers, and gifted subs kept soaring. It made Naruto want to give them an epic show to make it worth their money!
“I must say, can we go over the calculation once more? The propulsion force you estimated seems too high. May I suggest lowering it for safety concerns, especially before a live audience?” Kurama warned, sure that his creator had made a massive miscalculation.
“Mah, it will be fine, Kurama! You worry too much!” Naruto grinned, holding his arms tightly to his waist, extending his palms out in a similar manner to a particular movie superhero. “Yo, chats geared up and so am I! Initiate propulsion!”
“If you insist,” Kurama exhaled, running the program as intended.
“Alright, here we… Oh god!” Naruto cheered excitedly before the momentum of being shot into the air sent him into the air like a human rocket.
At speeds that the human body was not meant to fly and be accustomed to reacting to. All his training with full-accelerating running in his suit did not prepare him for the speed of lift-off.
He slammed face-first into the building on the right. He felt his exosuit creak and fail to protect his innards from the impact.
Naruto reacted as any human would, trying to reach out and stop it.
He was blasted into the other alley wall, through a window, before he attempted to correct his direction back up several moments too late and crashed through a ceiling in the process.
“Is it too late to tell you I told you so?” Kurama retorted as Naruto flew off into the sky in a concussed daze.
“Eat me, you foxy prick…” Naruto grunted, feeling every bit of those slams as he soared into the sky, his speed getting noticeably slower on ascent. “Uh, Kurama… What’s going on?”
“I may have cut boosters after the second time you crashed through a wall. What has been propelling you all this time has been the excess of energy necessary to lift you into the sky. You carried one too many zeroes on your last equation.” Kurama’s voice had a hint of snarkiness to it.
Almost as if he was enjoying that Naruto was getting his comeuppance.
“Turn ‘em back on! Turn ‘em back on!” Naruto commanded as he plummeted back to earth, his freefall accelerating as he hurdled to an early demise with Tokyo’s payment.
Only for his propulsion thrusts to kick back on at the last second, dramatically slowing his fall, jutting him off to the side, away from the street pavement, and slamming him into the hood of a parked Toyota Corolla.
The car's alarm began to resound throughout the neighborhood while Naruto lay, crashed out on top of it. Groaning and unable to move.
“I have already called for assistance. Paramedics should arrive in roughly four minutes and twenty seconds. Should I run a diagnosis on you to inform them of your injuries?” Kurama droned on, but Naruto could feel the satisfied sass in his voice.
“Please… and thank you,” Naruto muttered, staring up into the sky while heavily breathing, seeing chat messages zoom past on his visor’s screen. How it didn’t break was beyond him.
How he didn’t splat was a testament to the work he put into upgrading his exosuit. And still, there needed to be work done if this was what it felt like to collide into something at several hundred miles an hour.
“Now, chat… what do we learn?” Naruto groaned, still putting on a performance as many worried about his condition, and others laughed at his pain. But reading all the messages, he simply shook his head and caused himself more agony as he could hear sirens off in the distance. “Nope, you’re all wrong. What we learned here today is. Always second, triple-check your work. You never know when you’ve screwed up a calculation and nearly splat yourself on a wall like a cartoon duck.”
“Hope you enjoyed today’s stream. Golden Inari, signing out.”