The King Of Fighters

Naruto sat in his seat for a moment longer, focusing on his body. He could feel the faint leakage of chakra escaping his form, slipping out in small, undetectable amounts. His brow furrowed as he concentrated, and with a sharp exhale, he closed his eyes, focusing on drawing the energy back in, sealing it within himself.

"Sorry, I just have bad control, so it happens sometimes," he explained, a little embarrassed.

King, sitting across from him, didn't seem too fazed by the slip. Her sharp eyes studied him, assessing his control—or lack thereof. She shrugged slightly and leaned back in her chair. "No problem. At least it's not bad enough to cause damage to the surroundings."

Naruto gave a relieved sigh. "Thanks, I'll keep it under control." He then shifted the conversation, eager to move forward. "Now, about the fight you mentioned... you said something about Zangief?"

King's lips quirked into a slight smile. She liked that Naruto didn't waste time on small talk. "There's a fight going on close by where you can face Zangief. He's a very strong and durable fighter. His fighting style isn't that difficult to deal with, but one hit from him will hurt you a lot more than ten hits from me," she said, her tone firm but not unkind.

Naruto's eyes sparkled with interest as he listened. "Is that so? Can you win against him?"

King gave him a pointed look, as if she had already anticipated his question. "Six out of ten," she replied matter-of-factly.

Naruto nodded thoughtfully, considering the information. "So he's strong. I'll check him out. Do you think beating him would earn me enough rep to get into the King of Fighters tournament?"

King's expression shifted to something more playful, yet practical. "Beating just one guy isn't enough. Zangief might be a bad matchup for you, but you need to fight different opponents to build a reputation. And KOF is a team tournament, not a solo one. You'll need teammates."

Naruto absorbed that with a frown, but his resolve was unwavering. "Will you join me if I ask?"

The question hung in the air for a moment. King chuckled lightly, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You should work on your reputation first, and then we'll see. I haven't decided if I'll join or not." Her voice was teasing but genuine. The boy before her reminded her a bit of Terry and Ryo—confident, yet a little naïve, with a burning desire to prove himself.

Naruto smiled, undeterred by her playful refusal. "Thanks. I'll pay you back for this favor," he said, standing up with determination.

Without another word, he left the bar, heading toward the fight. He had already made up his mind about his next move. However, as he passed the door, his hand slipped into his pocket, and he pulled out a wad of cash. Not really thinking about the value of the money in this world, he set it down on the counter, leaving it behind.

King watched him leave and then glanced at the money. A moment of hesitation passed before she sighed softly. "He stole that money, didn't he?" she muttered to herself. She wasn't sure whether to report the boy for petty theft, though. She knew it could lead to complications—problems much bigger than a simple crime, especially when dealing with powerful figures like Akuma or the Mishima family. It wasn't her business to police the world's misdeeds, but she couldn't shake the feeling that Naruto was a much bigger puzzle than he appeared.

"Guess I'll let it slide for now," she said quietly, watching the door swing shut behind him.

Naruto's mind raced with thoughts of his training and future challenges as he made his way through the city streets. His feet barely made contact with the ground as he moved at impossible speeds. His perception of speed was skewed, however, as his enhanced abilities now felt like they were moving at a fraction of their full potential. Moving at what he thought was just 1% of his original speed, he was still able to cover miles within moments, almost as though the world around him was frozen in place.

His thoughts on the change in his abilities were jumbled, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in his physical prowess. 'I don't know what happened,' he mused. 'Why did I lose some of my speed but gained so much physical strength?' The rapid fluctuations in his body's capabilities were perplexing, but Naruto wasn't the type to dwell too long on confusion. He adapted quickly and moved forward, looking for answers through action rather than contemplation.

One thing was clear though: his chakra reserves had skyrocketed. With the Kyuubi no longer within him, he was free of the beast's constant drain on his chakra, and it had allowed his reserves to expand to levels far beyond what he had known before. 'The chakra used to contain Kyuubi's power is now free,' he thought, his mind drifting toward the sheer magnitude of energy he now held. He realized that even the legendary Hashirama Senju might not have the same reserves as him anymore. The Kyuubi's power had subtly merged into his own, creating something new and uncharted.

The thought excited him but also left him with more questions. He had no way of knowing the true limits of his new abilities. He would need to find a way to control and hone his power—after all, the Kyuubi's energy had been more of a guiding force than an ally in terms of refinement. 'I need to learn to control my techniques now,' he reflected. 'With Kyuubi gone, I'll be able to use genjutsu properly if I train hard enough.' His mind flickered with possibilities, and the usual excitement that surged in his chest at the prospect of new challenges and growth fueled his momentum.

'First things first,' he thought as he remembered his immediate priorities. He had always enjoyed developing new techniques and improving old ones. 'I should practice the Rasengan with one hand, refine my high-speed movement, and get a handle on elemental control and replacement jutsu. All of this will be useful in the future.' His goal now was to make sure his newfound strength and chakra weren't wasted but instead used efficiently to overcome the challenges that lay ahead.

Even though he was in an unfamiliar world, Naruto had never been one to be bogged down by worry. He didn't know much about the threats in this world, but he assumed they would be far more concerned about him than he needed to be about them. The most important thing now was to focus on what he could control: improving his skills and finding a way to return home.

As he neared the underground fight ring, the low hum of the crowd in the distance filled the air, urging him onward. 'Worrying will only slow me down,' he reminded himself, his determination firm. 'The best way to move forward is to focus and stay sharp.'

Naruto's steps slowed as he approached the entrance of the ring, his senses tingling with the anticipation of what lay ahead. He had to prove himself in this strange world, and he would do it the only way he knew how: by facing the challenges head-on.

The dimly lit underground arena buzzed with excitement, the noise of shouting spectators and the sickening sounds of violent blows echoing through the dark hallways. Naruto, now disguised in Kakashi's form, descended the stairs slowly. The guard had let him in with a respectful nod, though there was a subtle familiarity in their tone that made Naruto realize King had likely used this form before. 'She must have hidden her gender at times.' Naruto thought, noticing the oddity of the situation. No one would dare mistake King for a man with her figure.

Naruto's mind wandered briefly, but the sounds of the violent spectacle below pulled him into focus. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could make out a scene that turned his stomach. The cage at the center of the room held a massive man, Zangief, who was effortlessly slamming his opponent to the ground with bone-crushing force. The sickening sound of a spine snapping made Naruto wince. But the crowd? They roared in excitement, feeding off the violence as if it were nothing more than a game.

'These people are crazy,' Naruto thought, disgusted by their complete disregard for life. He had fought in many places, but the cruelty of this underworld was something else. Life was as cheap as the fighters who were thrown into the ring, and death wasn't even met with shock, only cheers.

Walking forward with purpose, Naruto approached the stage, his gaze fixed on Zangief, who was calling for challengers. "Next, is there anyone who dares fight me?" Zangief's voice thundered through the space, his aura radiating raw power.

Naruto raised his hand, his voice unwavering. "I do."

Zangief looked down at him with a smirk. "Who?" His eyes narrowed at the strange figure before him. Clearly, he didn't recognize Naruto's face, assuming him to be just another unknown fighter.

Naruto, unfazed, met his gaze. "I hope you're not just a big lump of meat, and actually have the strength to back up that confidence." His words were a challenge, a taunt that earned him a glare from Zangief.

Without wasting another moment, Zangief lunged forward, attempting to hit Naruto with a powerful lariat. The move was telegraphed, slow in Naruto's eyes, and he easily sidestepped, slipping through the opening with a swift motion. As he moved behind Zangief, Naruto delivered a kick aimed at his back. The force of the strike was enough to crush an elephant, but Zangief absorbed the blow with ease. Though pushed back into the cage, he quickly regained his footing, his expression now serious.

'Fast and strong,' Zangief thought, adjusting his stance. 'I'll need to catch him in a hold, or this fight will slip away from me.'

Naruto, meanwhile, analyzed the situation. He didn't want to kill Zangief, but he needed to put him down decisively. His enhanced strength, however, made it difficult to gauge how much force was necessary. 'I'll need to be careful not to overdo it,' Naruto decided, his body already moving before Zangief had time to react.

In a blur of motion, Naruto disappeared from sight, moving at speeds so fast the arena fell silent. He reappeared in front of Zangief, landing a blow to his stomach. The force was so overwhelming that Zangief was sent flying through the cage, crashing into the wall at the back of the arena. The impact was so violent that it caused injury to several of the spectators nearby.

The crowd, for once, went silent in shock before erupting in an ecstatic roar. "OOOHHH!" they screamed, their excitement over the new challenger palpable. This fight, captured on high-quality cameras, was already becoming the talk of the underworld. The brutal efficiency of Naruto's strike made it clear to everyone that this was no ordinary fighter.

Back in the shadows, a man with red hair watched the scene unfold, his eyes glowing with interest. "What do you think of that, Young Master?" A woman, her body sensually framed, asked as she leaned forward, watching the screen with intrigue.

The man's lips curled into a smile as purple flames sparked in his hands. "He is good," he replied, standing up from his seat. "I will enjoy a fight with him."

With that, he turned and left, intent on meeting the new challenger who had made his mark with a single, devastating blow. The underworld had just gained a new player, and the game would never be the same.