I do not own any of the Naruto or Kuroko no Basuke characters. Their ownership resides solely with Masashi Kishimoto and Tadatoshi Fujimaki.

Normal speech - "Kurama"

Flashback – kurama

Sound effects – kurama

Chapter 18

The door of the Namikaze house bangs open as Shikamaru and Selena run into the house. It doesn't take them long to find the entire family as they sit in shocked silence, only broken the weeping sounds of Himawari as she cleans to Shizune. The men were standing on one side of the room while the women were surrounding Shizune and Sakura as they tried to calm down Himawari and recently born Sarada. Selena rushes over and takes Himawari into her arms, hugging the little girl tight against her chest as she whispers reassurances to the distressed child.

"Where is he?" Shikamaru asks quietly to a stoic .

"I don't know." Kakashi says with a shake of his head. "He never said a word. Got up a few minutes before you got here and left the house."

"We should have done something about this a long time ago." Kiba growls as he paces up and down, the anger radiating off of him making him seem even more feral than usual.

"You know we had no options back then." Sasuke says, eyes never leaving his wife and child. "We all would have been in serious trouble if we tried anything."

"So we just allow this to go on?" Obito questions with icily.

"No." All eyes turn towards Jiraiya as he looks out the window into the sky, his posture one of nonchalance as he downs whatever drink is in his glass. "No, we will not do anything. Kiba is right, we should have done something about this a long time ago." The glass in his hand shatters as he clenches his fist, his posture never changing even as the air around him becomes charged with bloodlust.

"We can't focus on the past." Kakashi speaks up as he turns a page of the novel in his hands. "What we need to do now is focus on solving the issue at hand. Once that is done," Kakashi looks up at everyone in the room as his eyes glint over with rage, "we make sure no one ever thinks of hurting this family again."

"…and that's everything that happened. Today's game will be my last for this season.." Naruto finishes telling his tale to Kobe, Magic, and the GM. He stands up and bows to both of them. "I'm sorry for causing you so much problems. I will abide by whatever the franchise decides to do."

Naruto walks out of the office, leaving behind three men lost in their thoughts.

"This is going to be a PR nightmare once it hits the news." The GM says as he rubs the sides of his head to try and release some of the tension in his body. "We have to decide what is best for this franchise."

"If things do not work out, it'll be a tarnish that will take a very long time for people to get over." Magic says.

"But," Kobe responds as he looks towards both men, "if we stick by him and he makes it through, we gain the loyalty of a someone who has the potential to become one of the greatest players in basketball."

"We have already invested a lot of time and resources into making him someone who will be the face of this franchise for years to come." Magic points out. "From what we just heard, there is a good chance that things will eventually work out."

"Yes, but are we willing to take that risk." The GM holds up a hand to forestall either man from responding. "I know how both of you feel about the kid. This is not a decision that should be made likely! We have to take out personal feelings here and ask ourselves a very important question. Shit will hit the fan no matter what the outcome is… are we willing and able to deal with any and all repercussions that will surface because of this?"

Neither Kobe nor Magic are able to give an answer right away, both knowing that to make a rash decision in this very moment could have drastic drawbacks later down the line.

"After what has been an exciting season so far, we have now made it to the final night of the regular season. With a number of matches being played tonight, most eyes out there will be tuning in to watch tonight's match between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers. The entire NBA will be watching to see if Naruto Namikaze will be able to keep his promise of carrying the Lakers to the play-offs. Gentlemen, your thoughts on the matter?"

"I want it to be known," Skip Bayless starts off, "that I admire Naruto for what he has done this season. For a rookie to carry a franchise as big as the Lakers on his shoulders for most of the season, and managing to get them to this point is nothing short of astounding. However, I do not believe that the Lakers, even with a healthy Kobe Bryant, will be able to beat my Spurs tonight. The Spurs right now are a 61 – 20 team! They have the dangerous combination of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker as the corner stone of the team with a young up and coming Kawhi Leonard who is proving to be a fantastic two-way player. I am sorry but tonight will mark the end of the season for the Lakers."

"First off, I'd like to say that I agree with almost everything you have just said, Skip Bayless. However," Stephen A. Smith says with passion, "you seem to be forgetting that the Lakers have a 5 time NBA champion on their team! Kobe Bryant is someone who thrives off of these life and death moments. Naruto only has to help get the Lakers into a position to fight for the win in the 4th quarter.

And speaking of Naruto… he has easily won this year's Rookie Of The Year. With stats like 21.4 ppg, 9.1 apg, 6.0 rpg, and 2.9 spg, no other rookie is even in the discussion."

"I agree, Naruto Namikaze will definitely win the award. That does not mean that he will be able to tip the scales into the Laker's favour. Too much is stacked against him."

Kobe walks into the arena for his pre-game workout, hoping to take his mind off of the Naruto situation. He pauses in his stride as the sound of a basketball bouncing on the court reaches his ears.

"So this is where you've been hiding all day." Kobe says with a sigh. He steps onto the court and takes note of all the basketballs lying around. In the middle of it all, sweat pouring off of his frame, is Naruto dribbling the a ball at a pace most would never be able to keep up with.

"I wouldn't call it hiding." Naruto says as he continues to dribble the ball at a frantic pace in the middle of the court. "More like keeping myself locked up in case I do something I might regret later on."

"You should slow down." Kobe says as he begins shooting from the free-throw line. "You'll tire yourself out before the game even starts."

"You're probably right." Naruto says in reply, giving no indication of slowing down his routine. "I can't help it though. I feel like if I slow down for even the tiniest bit, I'll lose my mind."

Naruto dribbles the ball faster, adding more force every time it touches a hand. Kobe closes his eyes and waits for the inevitable to happen. It isn't long before the ball stops bouncing and the only sound that can be heard in the arena is the frantic pants of Naruto. He turns around to look at his young protégé and looks upon him with sadness and concern in his eyes.

Naruto stands with his head thrown back, gazing at the ceiling as his fists shake from how hard he is clenching them. Its clear that he is barely holding on to whatever restraint he still has and it honestly scares Kobe to see him so close to breaking down.

"I made a promise once." Naruto says quietly, his voice sounding louder than normal in the quiet arena. "A promise to look after my daughter. A promise to make sure no harm would ever come to her. To provide for her. To love her. Protect her." He doesn't even try to hide the raw emotion in his voice, long past the point of caring. "I almost lost myself when my parents were suddenly taken away from me. I became someone I barely recognized. I lived and thrived off of my anger. I allowed my rage to take over and I honestly had no problem taking down anyone who stood in my way. If it wasn't for Hinata, I have no doubt I would have eventually taken things too far. Then the accident happened and I was unable to save the one who kept me grounded. The only thing that kept me from taking my own life was my new born daughter and now I find out that someone is trying to take her away from me as well?"

"Naruto, you can't let fear and sadness dictate your actions. What you need to-"

"Fear and sadness?" Naruto cuts off Kobe with a humourless laugh. "I can assure you that what I'm feeling right now is no where near fear or sadness. I tried my best to set the absolute best example for my daughter. I forced myself to lock up and cage a part of me I never wanted my daughter to witness. Because of that, I became complacent, allowing people the opportunity to hurt my family." Naruto begins walking off the court towards the locker room as Kobe watches him wearily. "I'm tired, Kobe. I'm tired of holding back… of keeping the beast at bay. I'm dangerous…" Naruto turns to send a sad smile towards Kobe. "…and I think its time to remind everyone of that fact."

The Lakers' fans were cheering their loudest, doing everything they could to will their team to a win and a place in the play-offs. Naruto's family were cheering as well even though a tense atmosphere surrounded them. Hiruzen was holding a very quiet Himawari in his lap. No one had seen a glimpse of Naruto since yesterday and they were all anxious to make sure he was okay. However, as soon as they saw him take to the court for tip-off, it was instantly known by all of them that they were about to see something very different from what they were used to.

"He was finally pushed too far." Sasuke says solemnly. "It was bound to happen eventually but still…"

"We all wished that it would never occur." Hiruzen says with a nod of his head. "He always did his best to never allow his smile to disappear."

"Back then," Kakashi says, "basketball was an outlet."

"Now, he'll use it as a tool to send a message." Jiraiya finishes.

Naruto was lined up with the rest of the starting line-up as the national anthem played through the speakers of the arena. He had his head bowed and eyes closed as he waited for the match to get underway. Those who looked at him had no idea the effort he was putting forth into holding up his calm exterior.

"You good to go, kid?' Kobe asks as they take off their tracksuits and step back onto the court.

"Can I ask a favour?" Naruto replies, completely ignoring Kobe's question. "I know you are first option but would it be okay if we switched roles for tonight?"

"You sure you can handle it?" Kobe questions cautiously. "You had quite the workout earlier."

"Don't worry about me." Naruto says as he walks to his spot on the court. "Today I'm feeling dangerous."

His body was restless, twitching every other second with suppressed energy. He could feel anger boiling just under the surface and for once was allowing it to course through his veins without interruption.

Pau wins the air battle and tips it towards Naruto who catches it at full sprint. Before the Spurs even have a moment organise their defense, he is already soaring through the air to slam the ball home. Naruto hangs off the rim for a second longer before letting go and landing lightly on his feet.

The face that greets everyone as he turns around is not one any of them are used to seeing. His face still held the bored look that it usually does when he is on fire, however the intense look in his eyes gave pause to everyone who gazed into their depths. Naruto was ready to takeover the game like he never had before.

On defense Naruto was put in charge of guarding Tony Parker. He presses up right against Parker and continuously reaches for the ball, making sure not to touch Parker with his hands. Naruto senses a screen being placed right behind him and quickly spins around it to sprint towards the paint. He outstretches his arm and manages to slap away the pass meant for Tim Duncan.

Kobe catches the ball and runs down the court. Kawhi Leonard gets in front of him, slowing him down and forcing him to go into a post up position.

"Hey!"

Kobe bounces the ball into Naruto's hands and watches as he streaks to the basket. Naruto jumps up to go for another dunk but is met in the air by Duncan. Without thought he brings the ball down and passes it into the hands of an open Kyle Korver.

Naruto stays on the opponents' side of the court as the ball is waiting to be inbound. He hassles Parker all the way down the court, leaving him no option but to pass the ball. Naruto sticks on Parker the entire possession, not allowing him to become a part of the play.

When the Lakers get the ball Naruto holds up his hand to signal that he wants a 1v1 with Parker. As everyone moves to the right side of the court, he leads Parker into empty space on the left side.

Using his left hand to dribble the ball, Naruto drives towards the baseline at a speed that surprises everyone watching. While Parker struggles to keep up Naruto comes to a dead stop, twisting his upper body so he can spin back the way he came. Parker stumbles over his feet in an attempt to change direction only to fall onto his hands and knees as feints him and carries on to the hoop for an easy dunk.

The crowd surge to its feet at the amazing play pulled off by the super rookie.

"Pau," Naruto calls out as the jog back for defense, "on our next possession, bring Duncan to the top of the key and then switch marks with me."

"Okay." Pau says without hesitation, having complete faith in his rookie.

After the Spurs manage to score the basket, Nash receives the ball and dribbles it up court until he past the halfway court. Sending a nod towards Pau, Naruto manages to move his defender into Pau's screen, forcing Duncan to guard Naruto at the top of the key just as Nash passes the ball. Again the crowd roar in approval as Naruto catches the ball and holds it in front of his body as he stares down Duncan.

Naruto settles his feet and relaxes his body for a split second before taking off and driving past Duncan. He passes the ball between his legs and steps back behind the three-point line as Duncan does a complete 360 as he loses Naruto shoots a ball that catches nothing but net.

On defense it was Naruto's turn to guard Kawhi. Both players were standing in the left hand corner before Kawhi sprints towards the top of the key while Duncan sets up a screen on Naruto. Leonard catches the ball and pulls up for a quicker jumper. Just as the ball leaves his hands, Naruto comes soaring through the air to smack it down to a surprised Kobe.

Kobe sprints down the court towards the opposing basket but is slowed down by Parker who manages to get in front of him. He drives left, with Parker sticking with him, only to throw the ball behind his back in the opposite direction. Naruto catches the ball behind the three-point line and quickly releases a shot. The crowd goes wild as both Naruto and Kobe turn away from the basket before the ball is even in the net.

For the rest of the game, whenever he was on the court, Naruto was a demon to the Spurs. Normally his speed alone would be enough to beat almost any player on the court but today he was adding hesitations into his movements. His ability to go from full sprint to dead stop was enough to unsettle anyone trying to guard him and just when it would seem they managed to gather themselves he would jump back into a full sprint again.

It was the middle of the 3rd quarter and Naruto already had 36 points to his name, 36 points that were keeping the Lakers in reaching distance of the Spurs. What surprised everyone even more was the defensive showcase he was displaying against the Spurs. No matter whom he guarded, Naruto managed to unsettle them so much that they would be force to pass the ball all rush a shot. Both of these options proved to be costly as Kobe, having caught on to Naruto's plan in the 2nd quarter, was always ready to pounce on any sloppy pass; while Pau was having the game of his season as he battled it out with Tim Duncan for the rebounds. This wasn't enough though. The Lakers were barely holding on to a single digit deficit. Even though Naruto was playing his absolute heart out, the Spurs were keeping the ball away from him as much as they possibly could.

However, playing at such a high level was once again taking its toll on Naruto. Sweat was pouring off of his body at an alarming right as he struggled to get air into his lungs, pushing his body past its limits every time he used a quick burst of speed to lose his marker or catch up to the player he was guarding.

"Kid, you need to calm down!" Kobe says in frustration during a time out.

"I can't… Almost there." Naruto replies distractedly as he pants in gulps of air. He stops listening to everything else around him as he mumbles under his breath. "Just a bit… more. Need to… push even more than this."

Ignoring the coache's call to stay on the bench, Naruto stumbles his way back onto the court to receive the inbound. He passes the ball to Nash and slowly jogs his way into a corner, struggling to get air into his lungs all the way. So focused on breathing, he is late to react to a pass. Attempting to catch the ball, he fumbles it right into the hands of Leonard.

Naruto tries his best to sprint back but as he takes a step forward, his vision blurs until everything becomes black as he falls towards the ground…

'Huh… looks like I'm about to lose again.'

…

…

…

"Daiki, before I forget, there are times where I think I see lightning flowing from your eyes. What's up with that?"

Daiki takes a while to gather his thoughts before looking towards Naruto.

"What do you know about 'the Zone' or 'the Wild'?"

"The hell are those?"

Daiki stands up and grabs the ball laying by his feet

"Think of it like this." He says as he spins the ball on a finger. "Normally, when a player is playing to the best of his abilities, there is always a cap on how much a player is able to push his body physically or how high a player is able to mentally push his concentration levels. That cap is what separates the great players from the really good one. With both, you have to be willing to leave everything on the court.

The Zone has a trigger, a trigger that is different for everyone. No one can help you with that. The Wild, however, is a simple concept that's extremely hard to pull off. You have to believe in your style of play more than anything else. You are only able to enter the Wild when you stop relying on everyone else completely. Its life or death. Its when you have pushed your body to its absolute limits and find that its still not enough."

Daiki dribbles the ball for a bit before bringing his right arm back and throwing it against the backboard and into the net.

"Its not about belief in yourself. Don't get it confused. To you it has to be a fact! When you step onto the court you are the best player. When a play needs to be made you will make it. You having to stop thinking and just let your body do what it wants to do. Natural instinct."

…

…

…

The Lakers rush back to defend the basket as Kawhi throws a pass to Parker. Kobe manages to get in front of Parker, forcing him to pass it to a wide open Duncan who has a clear path to the hoop. Just as Duncan is about to slam the ball through the hoop, Naruto comes soaring through the air, head above the rim, and spikes the ball out of bounds with authority.

The arena is silent as Naruto lands back on the court, knees bent to absorb the pressure of falling from such a height. Everyone looking at him could just about see steam rising off of his body. He turns around to face the players on the court, scaring them all with the bloodthirsty grin on his face and the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"I did tell you that I felt particularly dangerous today." Naruto says as he makes eye contact with Kobe.

Naruto bounces on the balls of his feet as he waits for the Spurs to inbound the ball. He was marking Kawhi but could tell that the Spurs were trying to keep the ball as far away from him as possible. He sees Duncan get away from Pau and hands out his hands for the inbound. Before it even touches his hands Naruto is already moving off his mark to intercept him. Duncan goes through the motions for his signature banked shot but as the ball swatted down court by Naruto once again.

Landing on his feet, Naruto takes off after the ball at a speed faster than anyone has ever seen him move before. He catches after to the ball before anyone else is even past half-court. He races into the lane on the right hand side and jumps into the air, twisting his body in the air to perform a 720 dunk, something that is fast becoming his signature dunk.

Kobe intercepts the ball on the Spurs' next play and quickly passes it to a running Naruto. Kawhi steps in front of Naruto to stop him but Naruto pays little attention to him and makes a move to drive past him on his left side. Naruto senses Kawhi reach in to steal the ball from him so he throws it behind his back before spinning around and driving past on the right side. The moment is enough for another defender to jump in front of Naruto only for Naruto to jump away from him at throw the ball at the basket with his right hand, watching as the ball rattles itself home.

Entering the final two minutes of the game the Lakers managed to claw their way into a 4 point lead, mostly due to the demon on the court that was Naruto.

Nash is at the free-throw line, shooting the second of two free-throws. As the ball leaves his hands Naruto explodes forward, jumping higher than anyone else to slam the ball into the hoop after it bounces off the rim.

Naruto stands in front of Kawhi at the top of the key, arms dangling in front of him in a nonchalant manner. Kawhi tries to drive to the rim, using his body to shield the ball. Naruto keeps up with him and manages to keep his feet planted on the ground as Kawhi tries to fake him. When the ball is brought back down within reach distance, Naruto takes one step around Kawhi and taps it out of his hands.

He manages to get it before it goes out of bounds and races down the court. Duncan takes up position under the rim, intent on stopping Naruto. Naruto picks up even more speed as he rushes towards Duncan. Both players jump into the air at the same time but Naruto's explosive power propels him above Duncan. With momentum gathered from the speed used to get down the court, Naruto collides mid-air with Duncan, pushing back the larger defender while slamming the ball through the hoop.

Duncan stumbles back and hits the protective padding of the hoop as the whistle bows for the and-one, falling onto his ass as Naruto steps over to him.

Naruto sinks the free-throw before he makes his way over to the bench as the coach calls for a time out. Naruto walks past the bench and into the tunnel with his head bowed, ignoring any and all attempts of those trying to gain his attention.

Bzzzzzzzzt

The buzzer goes off a short while later, indicating a win for the Lakers. The chant of 'kitsune' reverberates around the arena. Up on the score bored Naruto's impressive stats for the game are displayed for everyone to see.

53 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 steals.

BREAKING NEWS!

"This just in. Los Angeles Lakers' superstar rookie, Naruto Namikaze, is to be charged with assault of one Hiashi Hyuga and kidnapping of his daughter, Hinata Hyuga. The young star is scheduled to appear in court sometime next week, affectively ruling him out of the roster for the first round of play-offs."

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PLOT TWIST! so there's the next chapter. took awhile to get it down but i feel like its the best version i could envision right now. as always, let me know what you think in the reviews. as said before, this isn't just a one season story. there is more that will be happening throughout the next few chapters. i don't yet know how i will integrate everything but it should be fun. read and review