Ping. Clang. Ping.
The metallic symphony of Gladius against cutlass ripped through the crisp Hell's Kitchen air, a harsh counterpoint to the distant city hum. Above, cotton ball clouds drifted lazily, utterly oblivious to the brutal ballet unfolding below. The night sky was a dazzling orange like shade with the bright dots of the starry sky.
This wasn't a world of magic or chakra, just raw, visceral force. Muscle against muscle hate against hate. And in the center of it, straining every muscle, was Naruto.
His opponent, a towering purple Anthro with a tentacle beard and coral-inspired armor, pressed him hard. But Naruto, clad in his improvised, iconic armor – a formidable sight, meticulously crafted from dark, segmented steel plates that overlapped across his chest, echoing ancient, disciplined warriors. Thick leather straps crisscrossed his torso, cinching the metal securely to his powerful frame. Guarding his shoulders were large, sculpted steel pieces, giving him a broad, imposing silhouette. Below his waist, instead of a simple cloth, hung heavy, reinforced leather strips, providing protection that swayed with his movements, a practical skirt of layered hide. Adding a striking, primal contrast was a sturdy cape of reddish-brown fur, cinched firmly around his waist, the rich pelt hanging down to his mid-thigh. It swirled with every pivot, a wild, untamed element against the rigid steel.
His headpiece was the most arresting. Forged from a light iron metal, it boasted prominent cheek guards that framed a smooth, unyielding metal mask where a face should be, completely obscuring his features. From the top of the helmet, a high, brush-like crest rose, adorned on either side with stylized brass emblems shaped like the cunning, pointed ears of a fox, a subtle nod to his hidden nature. The vibrant orange horsehair plume still flowed from the crown, a burst of color and motion crowning his otherwise stoic visage. His weapon, a short, deadly steel gladius, felt like an extension of his Centurion's will.
They broke apart, only to crash together again, a maelstrom of grunts and growls. The purple Anthro, massive and imposing at 6'9", wielded an iron cutlass with the vicious precision of a shark. His custom armor, painted to mimic coral, glimmered, a stark contrast to Naruto's more practical, if still imposing, gear. A coral crown adorned his head, and a hefty iron ship's anchor with the chain wrapped around his waist, added to his formidable presence.
These were Anthros, beings of incredible strength and varied forms, evolved from what humans once were on a planet called Saras. They were beasts in battle, and Naruto, a human anomaly among them, had carved out his niche in this brutal underground world.
Naruto's armor was already marred, deep scratches scarring the iron, a jagged diagonal slash weeping a thin line of blood from his left shoulder to his right hip. Both warriors gasped, air tearing into their lungs. Then, with an animalistic snarl, they lunged. Naruto, anticipating, closed the distance, feinting with his gladius only to follow with a powerful shoulder bash.
Naruto, The Centurion, felt a surge of strength. He pushed, his short blade darting for an opening, forcing the larger Anthro backward, step by agonizing step.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
The loud ringing of the bell was what Naruto needed. It was the call for the end of round three. Naruto and the Anthro whose name was Jackie or something he couldn't remember broke apart as they went to their separate corners. The area they were in was a large warehouse near the sea, but the arena was a rhombus-shaped waist-high stone structure. The floor was smooth granite, and several overhead lights gave illumination. Naruto looked around the arena.
Men and women, both human and Anthro of different kinds, from wolves (which were called Lycans) to monkeys (which were called Simians), all were cheering and howling, some waving around money as bets were taken. Naruto sat down on a brown bar stool as he ignored the men and women outside of the arena trying to give him pointers on what to do, some even threatening him not to lose. Naruto took off his helmet. His golden locks, slick with sweat, sprang free as he closed his eyes and breathed in and out to catch his breath.
The fight was almost over, that was for certain. He was going to win, he knew it. And judging by how Jackie or whatever his name was, team was speaking to him in his corner, they all knew it too. At this point, he was just playing for time, giving the people a show. That's what his handler wanted, because apparently Naruto won his matches too quickly, but it was his handler's fault. He had Naruto in a lower league bracket, both for more cash and also to flex Naruto off for hired muscle.
You see, being an underground gladiator was more than just a fight here, a fight there. It was a trial. You have to impress people, find good spokesmanship, and if you're lucky and the rich people catch their eyes on you, you'll be elevated to the higher leagues of former champions who were either too psychotic to be in the professional fighting leagues anymore or owed someone a great debt. But in that league came perks: more money and more fights. But as they say, it's a slippery slope up top and an even worse fall down to the bottom.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
"All right people, let's end this fight! It's the final round of Naruto The Centurion vs. Jackson the Ship Slayer!"
Jackson, that was his name. Oh well. Naruto stood up and put his helmet on and walked into the center of the ring with Jackson echoing him on the opposite side. Naruto looked towards his left and spotted and made eye contact with an Anthro lizard man with red scales in a purple suit and black sunglasses. He nodded to Naruto once, who slightly nodded back.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
The match started, and the Anthro Jackson lunged at Naruto with his cutlass. Naruto turned to the side, allowing himself to be cut. A deep gash was cut into his side, but Naruto grabbed the outstretched arm, spun Jackson, and then unleashed a flurry of powerful, rapid punches to his face, the crowd erupting into roars as they heard the sickening crunch of face bone breaking.Then Naruto let go and thrust his gladius deep into Jackson's side, twisted the blade, and then used his momentum to kick Jackson hard in the knee, sending him stumbling. Jackson crumpled.
The fight was over before the Anthro man hit the ground. Quickly, gang medics ran to attend to the Anthro on the ground as black blood stained the floor.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
"And that is it! That is it! You have your winner! Naruto The Centurion!"
People cheered, some booed, but Naruto, he was detached and simply walked to his corner and waited. Soon, people filed out while a team of people took the Anthro on the ground away, probably to a back alley doctor who was paid to ask no questions. Who knows.
Naruto waited. Even as blood seeped from his side, he waited. As soon as the last of the onlookers shuffled out and the cleaning crew began their grim work, footsteps echoed in the vast space. He looked up to see his handler, the lizard man from earlier. He was whistling, counting bill after bill from a thick stack, a heavy yellow envelope tucked under his arm. Reaching Naruto, he tossed the envelope, which Naruto caught with a practiced hand.
"Good show today. See what I mean? People want the game to last, not be over in a jiffy," the Anthro said, his voice as smooth as silk. With a voice like that, he could con you into selling your grandmother for a nickel.
"It would last longer if you got me into a better league," Naruto countered.
"Look, man, I already told you. I can't just put you in a league. Your name needs to get out there. You need people in the underground to spread word about you so sooner or later the rich folks will hear it."
Naruto rolled his eyes and waved him off. He'd heard that song and dance countless times before. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya."
A long, acquired pause stretched between them before the Anthro cleared his throat. "The, uhh, car's out front. Driver's waiting on you to take you wherever you want to go. But I'd go to that doctor friend of yours if I were you," he added, his gaze lingering on the wound on Naruto's side.
Naruto nodded, pushing himself up, a hand pressed to his side where blood freely flowed. "Tell Dex to call me for the next one."
"No problem, I will."
It was a short walk to the blacked-out SUV. He got in and told the driver two locations: first, the nearest liquor store, where he bought a bottle of Jack Daniel's, then to his apartment.
As he got out of the car, he looked up. His apartment building was decent, not run-down or crumbling like some others. It actually looked respectable. He nodded to the driver, then made his way inside, past the front desk, and to the elevator, the fresh, unopened bottle of liquid courage clutched in his hand.
Opening the door to his apartment, the sounds hit him instantly: moaning, groaning, and the rhythmic squeaking of a bed. He rolled his eyes. His adrenaline was still flowing, but it was steadily receding, replaced by a sour taste.
The small living room area, directly connected to the kitchen, lay before him. The white walls were an almost stark backdrop for the numerous framed photos hanging everywhere – snapshots of him and Hinata laughing, a blurry group shot with friends at a festival, Hinata's family gathered for a meal, a rare photo of his own parents. The fake wood floor, usually gleaming under the soft light, felt cold and unwelcoming tonight. He could hear the muffled sounds clearly from the single bedroom down the short hallway.
"Take it, take it! That's it, take it, you slut!" Naruto knew that voice. He shook his head. He was notabout to sleep on the couch listening to this. He made his way to the kitchen, which had a modest granite island counter, and pulled open a drawer. Inside was a bag holding his personal items: his phone and car keys. Naruto grabbed his phone and called an Uber.
"Oh god! Oh god! You're so big!"
"Yeah, you like that? Take my cock!"
"Oh god! You're making me squirt on your fat fucking cock! More please, more!"
Naruto shook his head, a sour expression on his face. He twisted open the bottle of whiskey and took a long swig. He gathered his phone and keys, and left the apartment as quickly as he could.
You're probably wondering: is it a roommate? No. Is his girlfriend cheating on him? Well, yes and no. You see, Naruto has a girlfriend named Hinata. She's an Anthro, a purple lynx, and he and she are in an open relationship. Now, it's not cheating by the strict definition of their agreement, but the cheating part is that she's breaking one of their cardinal ground rules for it: no friends. And that man she's with right now? That's his friend, Kiba.
"Fuck your squeezing my cock so good god your so fucking tight!" Naruto shook his head a sour expression on his face as he opened the bottle and drunk some of it he took his objects and left the apartment as quickly as he could as he walked out to the door he waited on his apartment stoop
(MUSIC CUE: "It's Been Awhile" by Staind begins. The opening guitar riff is clean, melancholic, building slightly as the drums and bass enter.)
He sighed, shaking his head as the melody of an old song, raw and familiar, hammered in his brain.
NARUTO (Singing, voice low and strained): And it's been awhile Since I could hold my head up highAnd it's been awhile Since I first saw you And it's been awhile Since I could stand on my own two feet again And it's been awhile Since I could call you
The Uber pulled up to the curb. Naruto took a slow swig of his bottle, the whiskey burning, and kept singing before he got in. As the car pulled off down the road, he looked back at the apartment building, a grim shake of his head. From the corner of his eye, he saw it – a full band, instruments glinting, playing atop a passing truck, as if the music was a physical force escorting him.
NARUTO (Singing, with more force): And everything I can't remember As messed up as it all may seem The consequences that I've rendered I've stretched myself beyond my means
The car paused at a stop sign. Naruto slowly drank more Jack Daniel's, his voice never missing a note, never off-key, the phantom band on the truck still pounding out the rhythm.
NARUTO (Singing, the emotion building): And it's been awhile Since I could say that I wasn't addicted And it's been awhile Since I can say I love myself as well And it's been awhile Since I've gone and messed things up just like I always doAnd it's been awhile But all that mess seems to disappear when I'm with you
His phone rang, startling him as the car turned left, the band on the truck inexplicably veering right and vanishing. He looked at the screen, saw Hinata's name, and pressed decline. He just stared out the window as the dark night outside began to weep rain.
NARUTO (Singing, with raw resignation): And everything I can't remember As messed up as it all may seem The consequences that I've rendered I've gone and messed things up again
Naruto looked at the phone in his hand and sent someone a text. His singing continued, deep and steady, as the car took another right. Suddenly, the phantom band reappeared, now on a rooftop, playing along with his voice.
NARUTO (Singing, a desperate plea): Why must I feel this way? Just make this go away Just one more peaceful day!
His phone rang again. A small, weary smile touched his lips as he saw who was calling, and he answered it. The person on the other line heard him singing, the band now in front of a dive bar, rain sheeting around them.
NARUTO (Singing, a hint of tenderness): And it's been awhile Since I could look at myself straight. And it's been awhileSince I said I'm sorry And it's been awhile Since I've seen the way the candles light your face And it's been awhile But I can still remember just the way you taste
The person on the line seemed to understand. Naruto hung up, Hinata's name immediately flashing on his screen again, but he declined it and turned off his phone. His voice grew harder, more determined, the phantom band playing in sync with him on an adjacent rooftop through the rain.
NARUTO (Singing, with a final, cathartic release): And everything I can't remember As messed up as it all may seem to be I know it's me I cannot blame this on my father He did the best he could for me
The car pulled up to a small house in a cul-de-sac. Naruto got out, not missing a tune, and closed the door. The band was there, directly in front of him, still playing to his singing, but he walked right through them as if they weren't solid.
NARUTO (Singing, quieter now, a tired resolution): And it's been awhile Since I could hold my head up high And it's been awhile Since I said I'm sorry
Naruto walked up some steps and looked back, but saw no one there. Then he knocked on the door. The door opened to show a beautiful Samoan woman with long legs and long black hair she wore a blue nurses scrub uniform she looked at him and smirked
"You look like shit" Naruto smirked as he held up his almost half empty bottle
"Feel like it"
"Well I got your message and I'm ready so come on in and drop the armor at the door Naruto did as he was told and walked into the house taking off his top layer of armor leaving him bare chested the gash on his side was the least of his wounds as he had cuts and bruises from the fight tonight
He followed the woman to a spartan white living room only things on the walls were photos of her
"Thanks for this Roxie"
"No problem baby boy now lay on the couch and let me work"
Naruto did as he was told as she cleaned and bandaged him up the alcohol in his system was working as a pain reliever it was a couple hours later that she was finished working on him Naruto got up and fished out his money and handed a couple hundreds to her
"Thanks"
"No problem baby boy, where's your girl why you not with her"
"She's..preoccupied tonight"
"Ahhh, so Whatchu about to do"
Naruto looked at her then fished out some more hundreds and handed them to her she smiled and began to take off her top leaving her in a black bra as she walked towards the bed room
Naruto got up, taking another long swig from the bottle before capping it and setting it on the ground. As he finished disrobing, his seven-inch cock was hard and stiff, a testament to a different kind of tension than the arena. He walked over to the bed where Roxie now lay, a playful, knowing smirk on her face, her black bra a stark contrast to her dark skin.
"Come on, baby boy," she purred, her voice a low invitation.
Naruto moved, climbing onto the bed, the mattress sinking beneath his weight. He leaned in, his lips finding the curve of her jaw, leaving a trail of soft, warm kisses down to her ear. He felt the silk of her hair against his cheek, the subtle, sweet scent of her skin filling his senses. Roxie's breath hitched, a soft moan escaping her as his lips teased the sensitive hollow beneath her earlobe. He heard the quickening beat of her heart beneath his palm as his hand rested on her hip.
He hovered above her, gazing into her dark eyes, a silent question passing between them. Then, slowly, deliberately, he began to slip inside her. The first brush of skin on skin sent a shiver through them both, a gasp tearing from Roxie's throat. He moved deeper, inch by agonizing inch, feeling the incredible heat and the tight, wet clench of her body surrounding him. Roxie arched her back, her fingers digging into his shoulders, a delightful sting against his bruised skin, as the exquisite sensation of him filling her shot through her like lightning, coiling deep in her core. Her teeth gently scraped his shoulder, a small bite of pure pleasure.
Naruto groaned, a guttural sound torn from deep in his chest. He found a deep, steady rhythm, his hips pressing into hers, pulling back, then plunging forward with a measured power. He took her lips again, his tongue tracing the soft, wet curve of her bottom lip until she opened for him. Their tongues danced, a battle of dominance in the kiss, a battle he won with a teasing, light pinch to her rounded buttock. A breathless giggle escaped her throat, her hips grinding back in response.
"You're a cheater, baby boy. I'm going to have to get even," she whispered, her voice husky, broken between his rhythmic thrusts and her own gasps.
Naruto smiled against her lips, his eyes locking with hers. He saw the raw desire there, mirroring his own. He moved his hips just a fraction slower, deliberately teasing, causing her to moan deeper into the kiss. The blonde Centurion groaned again, a wave of pure, raw pleasure washing over him, his cock sliding deeper and deeper inside her. He broke the kiss, raining small, urgent kisses down her neck, feeling the rapid pulse beneath his lips.
This wasn't just about screwing to release tension. This was different. He was holding her close, feeling the give of her body against his, the warmth of her breath on his skin. This felt less like merely fucking and more... like making love to her. He was breaking the second rule of the open relationship: no making love, only fucking. But Hinata broke a rule tonight, with Kiba. So why couldn't he? A dark, defiant pleasure twisted in his gut, intertwined with the building physical bliss.
He moved his hips a little faster, a frantic urgency taking hold, causing Roxie to gasp, a louder moan tearing from her. Naruto ravaged her neck again, his grip tightening, pulling her even closer to his body until there was no space left between them. Soon, the only sounds in the room were Roxie's and Naruto's ragged moans of pleasure, punctuated by the rhythmic slap of skin and the soft creak of the bedsprings.
He reached down, his fingers finding Roxie's clit, adding another layer of intense friction as his cock kept hitting her G-spot with every thrust. They had been together countless times before tonight, a familiar, comfortable solace, and he knew exactly how and where to pleasure her, her body an open book to his touch.
For what felt like hours, Naruto kept kissing her, his lips devouring hers, then trailing to her jaw, her neck, leaving hot, stinging hickies all over her collarbone and neck. His hips worked tirelessly, a relentless, primal drive, but even Naruto couldn't go forever.
"Roxie... I'm going to cum soon," he rasped, his voice thick with building pleasure.
Roxie moaned, her body writhing beneath him as he kissed her, his fingers expertly rubbing her nipples, bringing them to taut peaks. "Me too... I feel it... I'm going to cum soon, baby boy," she gasped, a tight knot coiling, twisting in her stomach, pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
Naruto nodded, his eyes wild with desire. On instinct, he quickened his pace, plunging deeper and faster, causing Roxie to cry out, moans spiraling louder and louder. "Say my name, Roxie! Say it!" he demanded, his voice rough.
"Naruto! Oh God, Naruto! Don't stop, please!" she moaned and begged, her nails raking his back as he gave a final, powerful thrust, his body arching, and he came, a wave of incandescent pleasure washing over him. Roxie screamed, a long, powerful cry of pure release, as she came with him. His muscles spasmed, and he collapsed forward, pulling out of her and rolling over onto his back, panting, the scent of sex thick in the air.
Roxie smirked as she rolled on top of him and interlocked their fingers. The look in her eyes changed from satisfaction to greedy; she wanted more.
"I'm going to ride those bandages off of you tonight, baby boy." Naruto smirked as he leaned up and kissed her. He was going to be selfish and make love to her all night, not just fuck her, but make deep, sensual love to her.