"I can't believe how beautiful this place is. H-how did…how does….how is this place even real? It feels like…like I'm in heaven." Kara said as she flew around the gigantic jungle, a place Naruto referred to as Mt. Myoboku
The giant talking toads were kind of scary at first, in fact some even tried to attack her until Naruto managed to calm them down and get them to ignore the two of them for as long as they were around. However apart from that moment, Kara had to say that this place was by far the most majestic and peaceful place she had ever been to.
"Mt. Myoboku is my very own personal sanctuary. I created this place myself using the purest and cleanest form of natural energy that can still be found on planet earth. Of course I also I fused my own power into everything, especially the amphibians, which is the reason they have sentience and special abilities. Think of them as my own little personal army, although they are also my dear friends, if not family." Naruto explained, still in his Kitsune outfit except without the Kitsune mask that he always wore with the outfit.
"That's…that's amazing. I don't even know what to say. To think that your abilities can produce something like this. Incredible, simply incredible!" Kara said in awe and wonder.
"There, let us settle at the top of that waterfall. It should make a nice, peaceful place for us to talk." Naruto said as he pointed at the spot, he and his girlfriend flying together and landing practically at the same time on a gigantic leaf of an even more gigantic tree that was situated near the edge of the waterfall cliff, not a violent and loud waterfall but rather a small, peaceful one where one can hear all the sounds of the jungle and the forest.
"…."
"How many people know about this place? Who else have you brought here?" Kara asked curiously, effectively breaking the comfortable silence with a rather uncomfortable question.
"You are the only one. No one else has ever been here." Naruto replied as he sat down, making himself comfortable as he invited his girlfriend to sit with him, said girlfriend reluctantly but ultimately obliging him.
"I cannot help but think that taking me here serves a dual purpose. On the one hand, it can be considered to be the ultimate expression of the love and the trust you have in me for you to bring me all the way here, but on the other hand, I am in a place I know not how to escape, surrounded by your army of military, sentient, and super powered toads. Did you bring me here to woe me? Or did you bring me here to kill me without the possibility of anyone coming to my aid? Or, is it both? If I am wooed, you'll let me live, and if not, you'll kill me?" Kara asked suspiciously, Naruto smiling fondly at Kara as a result, a reaction that Kara certainly did not expect.
"What are you smiling at me like that for?" Kara asked confusedly.
"Can a man not be impressed by his woman? The way you thought of all of those possibilities right now, it makes me think that you would make a great kunoichi. I think my human mother would have approved of you, perhaps even my New God mother, after all, both of them were elite warriors and tacticians." Naruto explained, causing Kara to blush in embarrassment, a sense of joy threatening to explode from within her before she ruthlessly and efficiently crushed it as she remembered that this was a dangerous assassin who had probably killed dozens of people, and not only that but he had been lying to her and deceiving her from the beginning.
"Well, Naruto-k…Nathaniel, thank you for the compliment…I think, but I….I want a break up." Supergirl said bluntly, after struggling to get the words out of her throat but eventually pushing through and releasing the earth shattering news, or so she thought, feeling concerned and lost when all she received in return was an appreciative smile.
"I suppose you really are a naturally born kunoichi after all. I too think that Uzumaki Naruto and Supergirl should publically break up so that Kara Danvers and Uzumaki Naruto can one day have a chance at being together, and so that Kara Zor El and Nathaniel Wilson can also have their own future together." Naruto said contemplatively, Kara's eyes widening when she realized what her bo…her ex boyfriend thought she had in mind.
"Nathaniel, that's…well, it would have been a very good idea, had I still wanted to be with you. But I don't want to be with you. I…I don't think you're the kind of guy that I am supposed to be with, I don't think I actually can be with you because that would require me to overlook your villainous activities. I stand for truth and justice, and you…I don't know what you stand for but it clearly isn't the same thing that I stand for. In fact, its taking me everything just to stand here with you and not feel threatened. Ever since I learned about the real you I constantly feel like I have to fight you and take you to the authorities." Kara explained, a number of expressions playing through Naruto's face before finally…acceptance, almost as if he just went through the five stages of grief in a matter of seconds, which is in fact what actually happened.
"I see. Somehow, of all the possible conclusions that could have come about today, I did not foresee a scenario where I would have to contemplate a life without you by my side. We have only been together for just over two months but…I don't know why I thought we could be together forever. I am heartbroken to say the least, Kara-chan. I thought our bond was much deeper than that. You haven't even tried to understand me at all, I know you haven't because you haven't even asked me anything about me, my ambitions, or my objectives." Naruto said painfully.
"I don't want to know anything because I do not want to become your enemy. If you tell me all of your secrets, we will inevitably become enemies. That is what my instincts are telling me. My instincts have never been wrong before. Most importantly, if you tell me your secrets in good faith, and I end up using them against you, what will that make me? Will that not make me a traitor? Its bad enough that I have broken your heart, but I do not also want to be the woman who stabbed you in the back." Kara said sorrowfully.
"I see. Perhaps…perhaps it really was foolish of me to think that you could ever see me for what and who I truly am, or that you would ever accept the real me. If I could cry, I would, such is the magnitude of the pain that I feel right now. But if you are sure, actually, even if you aren't, the fact that the thought of breaking up with me has even crossed your mind speaks volumes in itself. I have to accept this reality and learn to live with it…I guess." Naruto said with an aching heart.
"Yes, you do, and so do I, and if you do not mind, I would like it if you showed me the way home now." Kara demanded, wanting to get as far away from here as quickly as possible because she absolutely did not want her ex boyfriend to see her breakdown, nor did she want to continue to see the hurt and sadness in his eyes anymore.
"Of course, I will show you the way soon, but I have to know, what do you intend to do with the secrets that I have shared with you today?" Naruto asked with a grave undertone.
"Aaah….so there it is! The real you, just as I suspected!" Kara said with an edge to her tone, summoning every inch of the fighting spirit within her in preparation for a fight to the death.
"Just as you what? Look, Kara-chan, nobody is forcing you to answer my question. Do I feel like I deserve an answer after everything that has happened between us? Yes, of course I do. But I cannot force you to talk, I mean, I could, but I do not want to nor do I think it is the ethical thing to do. So curb your suspicions, I'm not going to do anything to you." Naruto retorted.
"Then take me home, now!" Kara demanded uncompromisingly.
"So you aren't even going to give me the curtesy of answering my question?" Naruto asked with a small frown.
"…."
"I see. Very well then, Kara-ch…Kara, you may go back to National City." Naruto said calmly, holding his left hand in a ram hand seal as he teleported Kara back to National City, just one of the many cities across the world that was full of his Hiraishin formulas thanks to his shadow clones placing them for him while under disguise.
"Is that the first time your heart has been broken, Naruto-sensei?" A small toad asked as it jumped out from the surrounding bushes, landing on Naruto's lap as Naruto began caressing the toad's head.
"In a romantic sense, yes, but it isn't the first time someone broke my heart, Gamakichi." Naruto replied with a forlorn look on his facial features, memories of the first time his heart was broken resurfacing in full force, that being of course the time that the entire Uzumaki clan was slaughtered and his biological father subsequently abandoned him.
"You loved her didn't you? I thought you said ninjas are not supposed to have emotions?" Gamakichi retorted with confusion.
"I said no such thing, Kichi. Everyone has emotions, even Gods. You can't just not have emotions. What is important is to not allow them to control you or to influence your decision making skills." Naruto countered.
"Oh I see. So you really did love her then?" Gamakichi asked for confirmation.
"As she did me. But did you see what she did Kichi? She didn't allow her feelings for me to cloud her judgement whatsoever. She behaved just like a ninja. She prioritized her objectives and her mission above everything else. Impressive isn't it, that someone can embody the fundamentals of a shinobi to that extent without ever receiving any shinobi training or mentorship? She really is a few of a kind, maybe even a one of a kind." Naruto lamented.
"So you also admire her then? Sounds like she is your soulmate, sensei. What are you going to do now? Are you just going to give up on her? On your soulmate?" Gamakichi asked with concern.
"That is exactly what I am going to do Gamakichi, for I am the real deal, a true shinobi. I cannot allow myself to be distracted from my goals by a woman, no matter how much I adore her. I've been too open and trusting, there is no telling what she will do with the information she has about me. I have to be far more careful from now on." Naruto replied.
"I think you should probably kill her then, sensei. To make sure the information doesn't leak that is." Gamakichi said as if it was the most obvious and easy thing to do in the world.
"I should, but I won't. I do not think I could bring myself to do that. Perhaps one day, who knows, but that time is certainly not today. My heart couldn't bare it." Naruto said with a pained facial expression.
"Damn! This chick has a vice grip around the throat of your soul doesn't she? If this is what love is then I hope to never fall in love with anyone, sheez!" Gamakichi said with concern, starting to truly fear the phenomenon that is romantic love.
"Well, if you do ever fall in love, I hope it isn't the kind of love that ends in heartache, that is to say, I hope it is the happily ever after kind. I wouldn't wish this kind of pain even on my worst enemy." Natuto said sagely.
"Don't worry sensei, you'll be back on your feet in no time at all! I'm sure eventually you'll find someone better than her to be your life partner." Gamakichi said with a healthy dose of optimism.
"Well, I hope not. Love makes you vulnerable, and I'm not sure vulnerable is a state of existence that I can tolerate any longer. But the life of an immortal is long, a lot of things can happen in a thousand years, five thousand years, 20 thousand years, and so forth. But as things stand, romance is not high on my list of priorities, in fact, it isn't even on the list." Naruto said with finality.
"Good, now let's do some training. You promised to teach me some more water jutsu." Gamakichi said excitedly.
"Talk about switching moods quickly." Naruto said, shaking his head in dismay.
"Fine, let's do it. I got some pent up energy to release after that whole ordeal anyway. A little training should do me some good." Naruto said as he started flying towards the training grounds with his friend and student Gamakichi in hand.
Following Day: 06:30am
"Aaaw! What the…!" Naruto exclaimed in pain as he got hit and stabbed on the left shoulder by a…
'Is that a baterang?' Naruto thought in shock and surprise, surprise that didn't last long at all as he was sent flying into the wall of his penthouse with a heavy spinning back kick, somehow able to remain conscious and on his feet despite the heavy impact.
"B-batman? Why the hell are you attacking me? What have I done to you? What are you even doing in Metropolis? I thought Gotham City was your…ack!" Naruto cried as Batman held him by the scruff of the neck and smashed him again against the wall.
"You're not much of a Ninja are you? Unaware of your surroundings, slow reaction time and poor self defense skills. Sure, your body is strong and solid, and your durability and physical strength seem to be surprisingly high, but that's about as far as any of your combat talent goes. Supergirl must have imagined everything she said about you because I do not see anything special about you, Kitsune!" Batman said, unimpressed.
"The fuck? What the hell are you talking about? What is Kitsune? Is that a person? Why are you here harassing me for no reason?" Naruto asked incredulously.
"…."
"Perhaps…perhaps Kitsune is a literal alter ego, a split personality disorder. Despite your apparent ignorance, your body seems much too developed for you not to be someone dangerous. Maybe we should interrogate the other personality…" Batman trailed off as he grabbed Naruto by his blazer, dropped down on his back, and used his feet to propel the blonde Uzumaki over his own Balcony, sending the richest man in the world falling over the balcony, towards the hard concrete on the bottom floor, Naruto screaming his lungs out as he descended onto the ground head first.
However, much to Batman's surprise, nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening as it looked like Naruto was not going to suddenly develop any ninja abilities or super powers, relief flooding Batman's system when, just on before Naruto's head splattered on the floor, his partner in crime, or rather, partner in heroism, came to the rescue, using his telekinetic powers to levitate the blonde Uzumaki, thereby saving him from an untimely death.
"Manhunter, search every nook and cranny of his mind." Batman said with authority.
"I do not see the need to violate this man's right to personal security and dignity any further. Isn't it clear that what you overheard from Supergirl and Batgirl's conversation amounts to some sort of misunderstanding? This man has no powers, and he certainly does not appear to have any form of combat training." The Martian Manhunter J'onn J'onnz replied sagely, levitating himself and Uzumaki Naruto back up to the balcony.
"Did you come here to help me or not? You either do as I say or I find someone else to do it. It's really as simple as that." Batman said stubbornly, directing one of his death glares at the Manhunter.
"…"
"Fine, I will do it, but only to prove that you have gone too far this time around. Truth may be at the center of your motives, but justice does not prevail here. You are thinning the line between us and the forces we fight against, Batman." J'onn replied, his eyes glowing a menacing red as he deep dived into the mind of Uzumaki Naruto, filtering everything through his mind in a matter of just thirty seconds before coming back to the world of reality.
"As I suspected, there is no justice to be found here. Naruto Uzumaki is not normal, his mind is very advanced, he is a one of a kind genius after all, but that is as far as his abnormality goes. No ninja background, no super powers, no Kitsune alter ego. Just a regular twenty year old billionaire genius." J'onn replied, causing Batman's eyes to narrow in confusion, unable to understand how it was possible that what J'onn said was true.
He was certain about the reality of the conversation between Batgirl and Supergirl, after all, he had long planted his undetectable spyware on Batgirl's costume. He had seen every emotion and every expression on Supergirl's face, and had heard every word spoken between the two young ladies. He had also done voice analysis and confirmed that there were absolutely no lies spoken between the two of them. So how was this possible? How could it be that none of it was true? He just didn't understand at all, and there was nothing Bruce hated more than an unsolved mystery.
"I'll have to investigate from a different angle. Perhaps if I investigate and verify the existence of Kitsune instead of whether he is Naruto Uzumaki or not, then I can get to the bottom of this. I need to scour the underworld and find Kitsune." Batman thought with determination.
"Fine. It does not seem like there is anything else we can find here. Erase Naruto's memories of this encounter and let us get out here." Batman ordered, The Martian Manhunter obliging his colleague as he did exactly as ordered whilst also trying to think of a different explanation for the wound on Naruto's shoulder as he needed to implant a false memory for why he had such a deep cut on his shoulder.
'The Question. I need to bring him in for this one. Between Me, Manhunter, and Question, we can get to the bottom of this.' Bruce thought obsessively.
Honestly, he would have liked to interrogate Supergirl herself, but how could he possibly explain how he knew about her conversation with Batgirl without giving himself away? It just wasn't possible, and there was also no way he could convince Supergirl not to tell Batgirl about it. He had no choice but to go about this the roundabout way, but whatever it took, Batman was not planning on giving up until he got to the bottom of this Kitsune Mystery, because if even half of what Supergirl said was true, then it meant that a world ending threat was hiding in plain sight, bidding its time until it was ready to devour the human race. He wouldn't be Batman if he didn't do anything about something like that, hell, he wouldn't be able to not do anything about it even if he tried.
"I'm done. We can go now." Manhunter said, Batman immediately calling for his cloaked Batplane as the two of them flew away from the scene of the "crime", leaving an unconscious billionaire in their wake.
Meanwhile: At Mt Myoboku
"Interesting? This Batman person is one brave fella to have attacked you head on like that. Stupid, but brave." Fukusaku said thoughtfully.
He is a small green toad who looks quite old in terms of age, wearing a red and black cloak that is zipped at the middle. He, his wife, and Naruto had been watching Batman and the Martian Manhunter attack and interrogate Naruto's shadow clone, both of them having fallen for the bait that Naruto set up for them, Naruto, of course, being a ninja himself, having planted his own spyware on Supergirl in the form of surveillance fuinjutsu.
Naruto had known, without a shadow of doubt, that if Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl knew about him, then inevitably Batman too would know what she knew. And if Batman knew, then he would be watching his every movement like a hawk. He could honestly say that he hadn't expected a direct assault like the one Batman had just made but at the same time, as a ninja, it had been his duty to prepare for it nonetheless.
Creating a human level clone with altered memories had been the best course of action, because the lie needed to be one hundred percent convincing, and for that to happen, the clone needed to believe its own lies, in other words, it needed not to even be aware of the fact that it was lying. The plan seemed to have worked like a charm, but Naruto was not going to rest on his laurels. Vigilance is a fundamental aspect of being a ninja, and seeing as Batman appeared to have ninja training himself, it was even more imperative that Naruto exercise extra caution and vigilance.
"Not that stupid. He did bring competent back-up after all. The Martian Manhunter is a formidable warrior with some convenient and tricky powers to boot. Batman came prepared, he is not to be underestimated." Naruto retorted.
"What are you going to do now, and by that I mean what are you going to do about Supergirl? She has betrayed you. Ninja code dictates that you eliminate the traitor. Traitors are not tolerated." Ma, otherwise known Fukusaku's wife, Shima, asked diabolically.
"I will not kill Supergirl, nor will I allow any of you to go behind my back and kill her. She is not to be touched, do you understand me?" Naruto asked, blasting both Ma and Pa with a sizeable dose of his most terrifying killing intent.
"Y-yes, Naruto-sama! Forgive my loudmouthed, short sighted, and quite frankly stupid wife." Pa said apologetically.
"What did you s…"Ma stopped in her tracks, her protest remaining stuck in her throat as Naruto increased the pressure on her.
"F-forgive me for my foolishness, great Naruto-sama! I….I promise that we will allow none of the toads to make an attempt on the traitorous wench…unless you give the order." Ma said fearfully, not fearfully enough Naruto supposed seeing as she was still adamant about slandering Supergirl.
'I suppose it isn't slander if its true.' Naruto thought with a mental shake of the head.
"Fair enough. I must go now. Time waits for no man." Naruto said as he got up on his feet.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone." Naruto said as he disappeared from the spot, along with the crystal ball that he had been using to watch over his clone with Ma and Pa.
"You stupid whore! Are you trying to get Naruto-sama to kill us? Huh!" Pa exclaimed angrily.
"Don't you dare start with me you spineless coward! Can't you see I'm only trying to look out for Naruto-sama!" Ma retorted angrily, the old couple arguing like that for the next fifteen minutes as neither of them was willing to relent to the other.
Later That Day:
"You've been giving me funny looks all day, why don't you just say what you want to say." Naruto said with a bored tone.
He was in his office, which had been fixed on the same day that it was destroyed, the same day that he was subsequently kidnapped by the most notorious space bounty hunter in the universe. Together with him was Hourman and Poison Ivy, courtesy of his rotating security system, and of course, the person he was referring to was Poison Ivy, who had been giving him a combination of looks all day, some looks full of pity, others full of curiosity and others filled with concern.
"I'm concerned about you of course! I mean, the world has gone mad and you're acting like nothing happened. Everyone is talking about this morning's Supergirl interview, you know, the one where she completely lost it when they asked her about you after she stopped a bank robbery." Poison Ivy said incredulously.
"The interview where she called me a pathological liar, a worthless man who doesn't deserve a good woman, and an untrustworthy, scandalous, possibly villainous individual? You mean that interview?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"Okay, so you do know about it. Why are you acting like nothing happened? Have you seen how much your stocks are dropping? Business confidence is dropping significantly for Wave Consolidated. You need to get out there and get ahead of this!" Pamela said worriedly.
"I understand your concern. However, I hope you do remember what happened when I first hired you. Stocks and business confidence dropped even faster than they are now, and in two days, everyone had forgotten about the fact that I hired an eco terrorist when I released my new state of the art energy conserving, clean energy project. I have had a new invention in the works for a while now. It should be ready for release in about a day or two." Naruto retorted.
"You sly dog you. You plan to leverage all the investors and buyers that have abandoned you and make even more money than you would have otherwise. You're using this debacle to your advantage." Hourman replied.
"After all, a ninja must be able to take advantage of any situation, positive or negative." Naruto retorted with a confident smirk.
'A ninja….?' Pamela thought with narrowed eyes, a conversation she had with Instant just yesterday replaying in her mind.
"The boss is more than capable of protecting himself, after all, with the exception of you, he personally trained all of us in how to fight."
'That is what Instant said isn't it? So what is he, a ninja? But Instant said that he was more than just a mere metahuman. So he isn't just a metahuman, but a metahuman ninja? What kind of powers does he have?' Pamela thought in frustration, sick and tired of being left out of the loop.
"Uh…boss, I uh….I want you to train me, in the ninja ways I mean. I know you can fight, and I think you have super powers too that you're hiding for some reason. I want the same treatment as everyone else. I've been nothing but dedicated and loyal to you from the beginning. I don't deserve to be treated like an outsider!" Pamela said with determination.
"I guess, being a certified genius and all, it was only a matter of time before you figured that something was up. However, on that same account, of you being a genius that is, surely you know why I am finding it hard to trust you don't you?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"Oh for fucks sake! Really? My past? You're going to bring that up? I haven't committed a single terrorist attack since I joined you! I bought and drank your cool aid about rectifying the world through economic subterfuge, transformation, infiltration, and revolution. What the fuck else am I supposed to do to prove myself to you?" Poison Ivy asked angrily.
"Answer the following questions. Do you or do you not still live and associate with national criminal maniac Harley Quinn and her crew, King Shark, Doctor Psycho, Clayface, Silvester Borgman, and Frank the Plant? Have you not gone on criminal missions with them on your off days, and in those missions, have you not killed innocent people? Are you not dating a villain known as Kiteman?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"I….I….have you been spying on me all this time?" Pamela asked furiously.
"You just asked him for ninja training and you're surprised that he has been spying on you? What is it that you think ninjas do anyway?" Hourman asked incredulously.
"I….so I'm being judged because of who I associate of with? Last time I checked freedom of association was a fundamental constitutional right!" Pamela exclaimed angrily.
"True, but that applies to both of us. You live with villains, you are a former villain, technically still are, and you're dating a villain…that you're cheating on with your best friend, who is a villain herself. Think about it Pamela, if you were me, and you knew what I know about you, would you trust you?" Naruto asked rhetorically.
"…."
"Are you saying I have to abandon my friends, break up with my boyfriend, and basically leave every human connection I have in order for you to trust me? Are you sure that is the version of me you want? Do you even want me at all?" Pamela asked hurtfully.
"I'm saying that the jury is still out on you. However trust this, if I didn't want you at all, you wouldn't be here. You have great potential Pamela, there is so much I could teach you, I could make you so much stronger than you are too. And no, I'm not asking you to severe your human ties, how you live your private life is entirely your choice, however, you must realize that those choices have consequence, and consequently, they are making it hard for me to trust you, especially when you have been sharing information about the daily happenings at Wave Consolidated with your villainous friends." Naruto replied, Pamela looking away in shame as she realized that there was nothing she could do or say to defend herself, because everything that was just said about her was true.
Sure, she hasn't intended to cause any harm to Wave Consolidated when she said those things to Harley, in fact, she had gone out of her way to make sure Harley understood that nothing that was said between them could be used for her criminal endeavor nor could what was said ever leave her lips. However, she also understood how her sharing that information with Harley could have such a negative effect on her boss's ability to trust her or to trust her judgement.
She knew Harley would never betray her but her boss didn't know Harley like she did, nor did Pamela think he even cared to know her any better. It really did seem like Pamela was going to have to choose between her work and her friends, that is to say, if she ever wanted to feel or in fact be important to the organization. It also didn't help that her boss knew about her elicit affair with Harley, because cheating on a spouse can also say a lot about a person's character, at the very least, it can cause others to view the person doing the cheating as an immoral and untrustworthy person, and justifiably so Pamela had to admit.
"Okay, I'll admit I may not have the best case in the world for why you should trust me. In fact, all I have is my word and my bond, but clearly that doesn't mean much right now and I realize and accept the reasons for that. I will be taking a good, long, and hard look at myself and see what changes I need to make, and if in fact I am willing to make said changes." Pamela said sincerely.
"Well, I couldn't ask you for anymore than that. Also, I am not asking you to change who you are, simply that you pay more attention to your actions and how they affect your position, status, and of course whether or not they have the potential to hinder your goals and ambitions. Personally, I like you very much, and believe it or not, I care a lot for you, in fact everyone here has taken a liking to you. However, a ninja never makes decisions based solely on emotions, consider that to be lesson number one." Naruto said with a small smile, Pamela's eyes widening as realization dawned on her, realizing that her boss was extending an olive branch for her as that could technically, and in fact literally be considered to be her first ninja lesson.
"Y-yes, boss. I'll remember that." Pamela said with a beautiful smile.
"Good, now get out of my hair, both of you. I need to meditate over a few issues, mostly concerning how to deal with the media mess that Supergirl has again created for me and Wave Consolidated." Naruto said grumpily, the conflict with Supergirl clearly weighing heavy on his mind his bodyguards realized, nevertheless giving their boss the time and space that he needed to process everything, especially with the break up being so fresh as it was only just over 24 hours since the break up.
Later That Evening:
"Where is Lobo taking you exactly? And did you just put a target on our father's back? Why did you tell Lobo that father is the second best bounty hunter in the universe?" Rose asked incredulously.
They were in the Hive Main Base in the Kerguelen Islands, and she was dressed in her Hive Queen uniform whereas Naruto was in his Kitsune outfit, only that neither of them had their headgear on. Joseph was also in his Jericho uniform, a uniform that was designed to absorb and disperse kinetic energy or allow for it to be re used by Jericho himself in order to boost his physical prowess.
"I have no idea where he is taking me, and naturally, he wouldn't tell me because if he did, I could just simply go there myself. His services would no longer be required." Naruto replied simply.
"As for father, it wasn't so much as me painting a target on his back more than me broadening his horizons. If word gets out in the universe that he is the second best bounty hunter in the universe, then he will get missions not just from all over planet earth, but from all over the universe. Besides, its not like I was lying, it is my genuine opinion that he is indeed the second best in the universe." Naruto said with a casual shrug of the shoulders.
"Speaking of which, did you know that he has now joined the League of Shadows? Can you believe it? He wouldn't join us but he goes and joins the League of Shadows instead? What gives?" Rose asked in frustration.
"This has to mean that he has chosen to work against us. I can't imagine it could mean anything else. I can't even read his mind anymore because he went and somehow got himself a telepathic frequency jamming device of some sort." Joseph said angrily.
"Father would never join the League of Shadows. He doesn't believe in working for anyone, he is and has always been his own boss. If he is in the League of Shadows, then it can only be because it serves his own ends. Perhaps he has a target that is inside the League, perhaps the demon himself is his target, or maybe he wants to take over the whole operation and use it for his own ends. Whatever the case may be, trust me on one thing, Deathstroke is no one's lackey." Naruto said without a shadow of doubt.
"…"
"Fine, whatever!" Joseph said with a little bit of petulance in his tone and demeanor.
"What of Lady Shiva? How long do you intend to keep her prisoner?" Naruto asked curiously.
"…"
"Well?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Its complicated. I mean, both you and Joseph have read her mind and confirmed her loyalty to us and the cause but I, I just can't trust her. Its not so long ago that she was completely loyal to the Jackal, and now I'm supposed to believe she is suddenly loyal to us? It just doesn't make sense to me, no matter what your psychic mind reading powers say." Rose said stubbornly.
"You can't just keep her prisoner forever. She can be a valuable asset or a dangerous enemy. If you decide she is an asset, then release her and allow her to be that asset, and if you decide she is a dangerous enemy, then execute her already. Keeping her around for no reason is both cruel and reckless. You have until I get back from wherever Lobo is taking me to decide what to do." Naruto said with authority.
"Fine, whatever! You guys do whatever you want with her. I don't want any part of this and she better not get too close to me." Rose said in frustration.
"Then it is decided. She will be Joseph's partner and bodyguard. The Royal Flush Unit will also serve under you, Joseph." Naruto instructed.
"Is that why you had me recruit and train them?" Joseph asked curiously.
"Yes, I always intended for them to be the unit that serves directly under your command, the same way I intend for the Ultimen to serve directly under Rose." Naruto replied.
"And who would serve under you?" Rose asked suspiciously.
"My team from Wave Consolidated of course. I haven't decided on a name for the team yet, but I was thinking about Akatsuki as a name. It has a nice ring to it." Naruto replied.
"Red Dawn? Sounds perfect. But does this mean what I think it does?" Rose asked excitedly.
"Yes, yes it does. I have told my team about Hive and they have all agreed to join the Hive. Instant, Hourman, Brainwave, Painkiller, Looker, and Hack, they are now all members of the Hive." Naruto explained.
"What about Poison Ivy?" Joseph asked with concern.
"She knows something more is going on at Wave Consolidated, but that is all she knows. She has yet to earn my trust. She's still a work in progress." Naruto replied.
"And the Enchantress? What is she in all of this?" Rose asked with intrigue.
"She is also a work in progress. The first step was to get her a proper, uncompromised vessel, and we found one, a host body of a woman that had recently become deceased due to drowning. She matched the physical characteristics that Enchantress required and because the woman was legitimately dead, the body had no soul in it. Consequently, June Moon is free and Enchantress has her very own physical form. The next phase is in progress, which is to say, training, education, and bonding. When that is done, she will serve directly under me as a member of Akatsuki of the Hive." Naruto explained.
"Sounds good to me. Joseph, what about you?" Rose asked.
"It sounds great. There is only one problem I have though, and that is the balance of the teams. Your team has three telepaths, those being you, Brainwave, and Enchantress. My team has two telepaths, and those are me and Ace. But Rose's team does not have a telepath whatsoever as there is no telepath in the Ultimen." Joseph said with concern.
"That is indeed a problem, and I have in fact been thinking about it. I have been looking for a new member for Rose's team, but its going to take some time before I find one, test them, and verify whether they can be trusted or even if they would make a suitable member for our organization." Naruto replied.
"Why don't we just change teams. If Rose gets the Royal Flush Unit and I get the Ultimen, then it will be problem solved, just like that." Joseph replied.
"That too has crossed my mind. But we are dealing with people here Joseph, not objects. You don't just move people around like that. The Royal Flush Unit have already bonded with you. You are their savior and liberator, and you are the one that has been training them. They trust you, they…revere you. I can't even imagine the kind of abandonment issues and resentment they would have if you gave them away to someone else, certainly at this stage of their development." Naruto explained.
"You…you're right. Okay, I guess that was a pretty bad idea. But what about Brainwave? The Akatsuki will still have you, and I doubt Brainwave wouldn't be able to understand the situation if you explained it to him." Joseph said desperately, unable to handle the thought of leaving his beloved sister's mind unprotected.
"Very well. I'll talk to Brainwave as soon as possible. I'm sure he won't mind if I lend him to Rose until we are able to recruit another telepath." Naruto retorted.
"You guys are acting like they sell telepaths at the candy store or something. And even if we find one, finding a loyal one that shares the same beliefs as us is going to be an even harder task." Rose argued.
"If we do not find another one then it isn't an issue. All it means is that Brainwave's transfer will become permanent." Joseph said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, Rose looking at Naruto for confirmation as she was unsure if her brother would so willingly give away one of his friends and close comrades.
"Well, it isn't like I will never see him again. We would still be in the same organization. Besides, my sister's safety takes priority over everything else." Naruto said with a shrug of the shoulders.
The Following Day: Justice League Headquarters
"You can't be serious. You're telling us that Uzumaki Naruto is a God? And we are supposed to believe this why?" Diana aka Wonder Woman asked incredulously.
"Lady, we just spent an hour watching and listening to a video recording of a conversation between Supergirl and Batwoman where Supergirl vividly described everything that transpired between her and Uzumaki Naruto. What more evidence could you ask for?" John Steward asked incredulously.
"I don't know, perhaps video evidence of Uzumaki Naruto himself fighting Lobo." Diana retorted.
"Kara mentioned that Naruto's real name is Nathaniel Wilson, she also mentioned that he is Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke the Terminator's son. Knowing you, Batman, there is no way you would have made this presentation without first confirming for yourself at least some of this stuff." Superman said with an inquiring tone.
"Manhunter and I did some recon. We managed to…interrogate Naruto Uzumaki and we even managed to get some dna samples, or so we thought…." Batman began only to be cut off by Black Canary.
"How exactly did you interrogate him?" Canary asked suspiciously.
"And what to you mean by so you thought? You either got the dna samples or you didn't, there is no middle ground here." Diana asked confusedly.
"I physically interrogated him and Manhunter used his telepathy to search his mind. We both came up empty, which was rather suspicious in itself. He seem much too clean, and it felt like we were the ones who had walked into a trap and not the other way around. My suspicions were confirmed when I arrived at the Batcave, more specifically, when I tried to test the dna samples. The blood that was on the baterang was gone, not even a trace of it. Like it was never there to begin with, as if it just poofed out of existence." Batman explained, capturing the entire room's attention, Captain Atom and Hawkgirl, who both initially seemed disinterested, all of a sudden leaning forward as they both frowned in concentration.
"So you were unable to prove that Naruto's dna is that of a New God, nor that he is related to Deathstroke the Terminator? Well, there is no guarantee you would have been able to prove it anyway, I doubt regular dna tests would work on New God dna." Captain Atom retorted.
"Perhaps, but I would have liked to try nonetheless. In any case, as you all have heard, Naruto's…Nathaniel's alias is Kitsune the Toad Sage, so I decided to do some digging on Kitsune. Granted I did not have much time but I was able to get some leads by following Deathstroke's history. I figured if he really was Deathstroke's son, and he too was a mercenary, then he must have, at some point, been trained by Deathstroke himself, and if he was, then it goes without saying that they would have worked together at some point before Nathaniel broke off on his own." Batman explained.
"Kind of like you and Nightwing." Green Arrow replied.
"Or you and Red Arrow." Batman retorted.
"Touche." Green Arrow said sheepishly.
"And? Did you find anything?" Diana asked curiously.
"I did. Indeed it does turn out that Deathstroke had a partner at some point in the past. In fact, for about five years, he had been seen working alongside a very young individual who's outifit matches what Supergirl described to be Kitsune's combat outfit." Batman replied.
"How long ago was this?" Diana asked curiously.
"From about ten years ago to about five years ago. After that, there are no official records of Kitsune being active anywhere, but the fact that three years after that Naruto starts what would quickly become the largest and most profitable enterprise in the world leads me to believe that in fact, Kitsune had been active all those years. I suspect that he still is, and even if he isn't, that would just make it all the more suspicious." Batman explained his reasoning.
"In other words, you won't be satisfied until you know every single detail about him." Flash said with exasperation, honestly not sure what to think about how much of a control freak Batman was, although given the number of times Batman's need to know everything about everyone had saved them, he really had no room to complain, because he knew that Batman would just remind him of all the times that his information had helped them or outright saved their butts.
"That is precisely the point, Flash. Knowledge is power, you of all people should know that, being a forensic investigator and all." Batman countered.
'And there he goes, right on cue.' Flash thought with exasperation.
"What about the Uzumaki ninja clan that Supergirl spoke of?" Green Arrow asked warily, fully aware of how dangerous a ninja organization could be, having dealt with the league of shadows himself just like Batman had.
"Naruto's listed parents are Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. However, apart from being known associates of Slade Wilson, their records are squeaky clean, not even a parking ticket." Batman replied.
"Oh oh! Now that is suspicious. I can't remember a single time that a squeaky clean record belonged to an actually squeaky clean person. That's a red flag." Green Arrow replied.
"My thoughts exactly. However, I was unable to find anything on the Uzumaki clan despite my best efforts." Batman said tensely, clearly struggling to admit that he of all people had been unable to solve a mystery.
"Still, we know that Naruto's parents had close associations with Slade Wilson and we know that there is an Uzumaki Ninja clan based on Supergirl's testimony. Assuming everything that Supergirl said is true, then what is happening here is quite clear. Slade Wilson, for whatever reason, had Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki raise his son and train him in the ninja ways. He would later take over his son's training and they would work together as a team. His son would become one of the most dangerous unknown people in the world. End of story." Captain Atom said, simplifying the whole thing for himself and everyone else.
"So you believe him? You believe Naruto is actually Nathaniel Wilson, and he is a New God?" Diana asked curiously.
"I do. The only question is who exactly is his mother? If she is a New God then she herself is quite dangerous. Where is she? Has she been involved in Nathaniel's life, or has she left the planet entirely? Does she ever intend to return? And what exactly is a New God anyway?" Captain Atom asked curiously.
"Probably an alien so powerful that people on earth thought it had to be a God, or the alien itself dubbed itself a God." Green Arrow said pessimistically.
"That's not true. New Gods actually do exist, and they have been here on earth before. It's a long story but trust me when I say, they are as real as Zeus and Posseidon." Diana said gravely.
"Whatever the case may be. We need more information about Naruto or Nathaniel or whatever he considers himself to be. Diana, being a….being a God yourself…allegedly, would there be a way for you to confirm if he is who he says he is or not?" Green Arrow asked inquisitively.
"Not if he is going out of his way to hide who he is. It might be very hard even for me, especially since he is not an Old God but a New God of Apokolips." Diana replied.
"What's the difference?" Batman asked suspiciously, kind of miffed at himself for not having considered the possibility that there was a fundamental difference between the two species of Gods.
"Old God powers are rooted in celestial magic, but New God powers derive from cosmic energies. Put simply, New Gods are functionally comprised of celestial meta physics whereas Old Gods are celestial magic." Diana explained.
"Another way of looking at it is that the gap between human sorcerers and Old Gods is more or less equivalent to the gap between meta humans and New Gods." Doctor Fate spoke for the first time since the meeting began, causing Batman to narrow his eyes at Doctor Fate, having wondered the whole time why Fate of all people hadn't spoken up on the subject matter, especially when it involved cosmic and celestial beings.
"So basically we pale in comparison to them. Great!" Flash said with exasperation.
"Care to share some of your thoughts on Kitsune, Doctor Fate?" Batman asked with a noticeable edge to his tone.
"No, actually. I care not, as I am honor bound not to directly or indirectly interfere in Kitsune's business." Fate retorted, dropping a bomb right in the middle of the watchtower.
"You know him!?" Hal Jordan exclaimed in shock.
"We chat occasionally. I do not know if I can say we are friends, but we certainly are not enemies." Fate replied, leaving everyone's jaw on the ground in shock, even Batman.
"You're telling me this entire meeting could have been over in five minutes and yet you sat there and allowed it to drag on because what? Because you're sleeping with the enemy?" John Stewart said angrily.
"It is as I said, I am honor bound to never betray Nathaniel Wilson. He helped me once on a mission I foolishly tried to complete alone against three lords of chaos. Were it not for him, not only would I have lost my life, but the very fabric of our reality would now be at the hands of chaos." Fate replied.
"You're telling me that Kitsune saved our entire reality?" Captain Atom asked incredulously.
"Precisely. In return, he asked that I never work against him, nor would he against me. He even offered me a means to contact him whenever I was in need of his help again, and he has kept his word. He has helped me solve some cases and to stop some very bad instruments of chaos. I don't expect you to trust him per se, nor me for that matter, but trust this, Nathaniel means no harm to mankind or planet earth." Fate retorted.
"If you're so certain about his intentions, then why haven't you invited him to join the League? Also, Kara said that she felt like she was in the presence of an enemy whenever she was in Kitsune's presence, like she had to fight hard to stop herself from instinctively attacking him. So my question is, how do you feel in his presence?" Superman asked curiously.
"I do not think he would be a good fit for the league. Nathaniel is a leader, not a follower. He is also a free and independent thinker, and has an ethical but versatile set of morals. He would inevitably clash with the league. Essentially that is to say, he has the same or similar goals to the League, but has a different moral or ethical code. His is not as rigid as ours." Fate tried to explain.
"Meaning he does whatever he wants and whenever he wants. Sounds like a typical villain to me." Batman said sternly.
"And there is my point exactly. The minute someone has a different set of morals and ethics, we automatically assume our way is the right way and his is the wrong way, and we label him a villain." Fate replied sagely.
"That's not exactly how it works and you know it!" John Stewart protested.
"It isn't exactly not true either. In any case, the only thing I'm interested in is whether Kitsune has or continues to harm or kill the innocent." Captain Marvel retorted.
"And what will you do if he has and continues to harm and kill not the innocent, but the guilty?" Fate asked gravely.
"K-killing is wrong, no matter the reasons!" Captain Marvel retorted.
"Says who? Whose standard is that? Who made that law? Religion? Not everyone is religious, and it is in fact a fundamental right that no one should be compelled to follow any religion if they do not desire to follow one. Where does that leave us? The law?"
"Who made the law? The Government? Does the Government not kill? How many people has the US Government alone killed in the past month, never mind since the last democratic elections? Why haven't you or any of us done anything about it? Last time I checked, only the constitution itself has sovereignty and not the Government. Yet none of us ever do anything about all of the crimes against humanity committed by most governments in the world, more especially the US Government. So again I ask, who says that it is bad to kill evil people? Who gave you authority to stop the people that do kill those people? Does your belief system take precedence over those of others?" Fate asked inquisitively, eliciting a deathly silence in the watchtower as everyone struggled to come up with answers to the deep and tricky questions.
"….."
"Perhaps it is all about power then? Those with power decide what is right and what is wrong? The Justice League have power, so we enforce our ideals on others…."
"That's not true! The Justice League protect those who cannot protect themselves!" John Stewart protested.
"And so does Kitsune. The only difference is that he doesn't also protect those who would harm the helpless, he gets rid of them." Fate replied.
"He has no right to decide who lives and who dies!" Batman argued.
"By that logic, neither do we. What gives us the right to decide that Joker should live to kill another thousand or so innocent lives? Or that General Zod and Lex Luthor should live to kill again and again and again? We have the power to save the lives that they continue to take but we do not. Are we not playing God ourselves?" Fate counter argued.
"What are you saying Fate? You want the Justice League to start killing people?" Flash asked incredulously.
"No, I am merely trying to get you to see that not everyone agrees with our philosophies, and that there is no proof that ours are right and theirs are wrong. Granted, I think we can all agree that killing the innocent or oppressing the innocent is just plain wrong. That one cannot be debated on any scale of reasonability, it can also be easily determined that there are those who deserve a chance at rehabilitation and redemption. That is a worthy cause…however, what about people like the Joker and Lex Luthor? People who have had multiple opportunities at redemption only to spit at those opportunities and go on to harm hundreds and thousands of people. How many must suffer and die for their redemption?" Fate trailed off, leaving the members of the league to figure the rest out for themselves.
"…"
"I can see that we all have much to think about. Perhaps we should adjourn and reconvene when we have all had a chance to clear our minds. Before we go though, let me be frank with you all. I value the league and while I do not always agree with the League's ideals, I do respect them and always try my best to honor those ideals. However, I will not take any action against Nathaniel nor will I assist in any matter designed to conspire against him. I will not tattle tail, but I will not assist either." Fate said with finality.
"Thank you, Doctor Fate. Your stance is received, accepted, and respected, at least as far as I am concerned. However, due to Naru…Nath…Kitsune's relationship with my cousin, and as chairman of the league and elected champion of justice, I feel compelled to look deep into the matter, and perhaps even have a parlay with Kitsune. I have to verify the threat level, and in doing so, I give my blessing to any league member who wishes to take similar action." Superman replied humbly, but also with authority.
"Thank you, Superman. You do me great honor with your kind and humble words." Fate replied.
"With that being said, I move to have this meeting adjourned. Batman, Manhunter, continue your investigation, but you may not attack Naruto Uzumaki again. Not until you have presented us with proof of wrong doing. Justice League, you may now all be dismissed." Superman ordered authoratively.
Five Minutes Later:
"Wait for me, Fate!" Wonder Woman exclaimed, quickly catching up to Doctor Fate before he could enter his magically constructed portal.
"Please take me with you. I…I wish to further discuss the issue of Nathaniel Wilson with you. New Gods of Apokolips are dangerous, and evil. That is what I have been taught since I was a child. For one that has a metahuman father to exist, to be raised on planet earth, and to be good friends with Doctor Fate, is an anomaly to say the least. I do not wish to intrude, but I would appreciate it if you could invite me to the tower of Fate for a deeper discussion on the matter." Diana pleaded.
"You are curious about Nathaniel, you wish to know him better, on a more personal level. For plutonic reasons, or for more intimate reasons I wonder?" Fate asked curiously.
"Y-you misunderstand, I don't like him like that, I don't even know him!" Diana exclaimed indignantly.
"No, you do not know him. However, you are a Godess who has never had the pleasure of mingling with her kind. You thought you found someone you could bond with when you and Superman got together, but he left you for a mere human woman, and now you find yourself all alone again. But here now comes a metahuman- New God hybrid, a person born of two worlds, just like you, an Amazon-Old God hybrid. Curiosity killed the cat Diana, and consequently, it will kill you, or make you the luckiest and happiest Godess in the Universe. Fate, and only fate will decide." Fate said sagely, Diana honestly not knowing what to say in response as Fate had just unearthed feelings and thoughts that she wasn't even consciously aware that she had.
"….."
"Another woman's trash is another's treasure. Come with me Diana, perhaps Supergirl's loss will be your gain, or perhaps not. Either way, Fate awaits you, and welcomes you." Fate said as he walked into the portal, Diana following suit as she too allowed her feet to drag her forward.
"Welcome Diana, to the Tower of….Fate…" Fate trailed off in surprise, unable to believe just how quickly fate had acted as there, right in front of him, more specifically, right in front of Kent Nelson's wife, Inza, was Kitsune, playing chess with his wife.
"Fate! It's been a while old friend. Forgive me for wearing my mask but I sensed you were not alone and felt the need to put it back on. Anyway, you arrived just in time, I was just about to give your wife a good old ass spanking." Kitsune said with a friendly tone, relatively speaking of course, as the tone of his voice was more terrifying than friendly, at least to those who were not accustomed to hearing it.
"Fate has intervened faster than could have reasonably been expected, don't you think, Diana?" Fate asked rhetorically.
"I…uh…I…." Diana stuttered, unable to form a single coherent word, never mind a phrase or an entire sentence.
"D-did he just say he was going to spank your wife?" Diana asked indignantly as her thoughts became more coherent.
"Figuratively speaking, of course. At least I hope that is what he means. Kitsune, like his namesake, is quite the trickster." Fate retorted.
"Diana of Themiscyra. Honestly I was hoping to never run into a Justice League member, but I guess Fate has once again intervened. Get it? Because Doctor Fate brought you here? Hehe! I can never get enough of those puns" Kitsune chuckled.
"In any case, seeing you here, in person, and taking in your magnificent aura and presence, I can only say that it is a most wonderful pleasure to be in your presence." Kitsune said sincerely.
"T-thank you! I….I'm not really sure I know how your presence makes me feel, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see you. I came here to ask Doctor Fate some questions about you, but meeting you in person is so much better. Now I can just ask you directly." Diana replied.
"I see. Well I mainly just came to say goodbye to the Doctor and his madam but I guess I definitely can and will make time for Wonder Woman, I mean, who wouldn't?" Kitsune said elatedly.
"I…I can't remember the last time I ever received such a warm welcome, certainly never from a God before." Diana said with a light blush.
"Ahem…!" Fate fake coughed, cutting deep through the flirtations that were taking place as if he and his wife were not even there.
"You said you came here to say goodbye, why? Where are you going? Why would you say goodbye unless you didn't think you were coming back?" Fate asked warily.
"Two New Gods of Apokolips known as Scot Free aka Mr Miracle and Big Barda hired Lobo the Space Bounty Hunter to abduct me and take me to them. Scot Free is leader of Apokolips, Lord Darkseid's adopted son, and biological son of the leader of New Genesis, Highfather. He is special, possessing a great cosmic power known as the Alpha Effect. Big Barda is the daughter of Big Breeda, she is a powerful warrior, in fact, last time I checked, she was the leader of the all female elite warrior unit of Apokolips, the Furies." Kitsune explained.
"Leader of the Furies, the all female organization to which your mother belongs? Does this mean she is more powerful than your mother?" Fate asked warily.
"Not definitely, but most likely." Kitsune replied.
"You do not think you can defeat them, Barda and Scot Free?" Fate asked warily.
"All the information I have about them is from my mother's files, I have never encountered them, and therefore have no true measure of their skill and power. However, the fact that they know about me could mean that my mother is in danger. I have to hunt them down and deal with them, that is of course, if they are the threat to my mother, or if they have killed or harmed her in any way whatsoever." Kitsune said with determination.
"What of Lobo? What will you do about him? How do you know he was hired to kidnap you, seeing as you are still here. Did you already deal with him?" Inza asked with concern.
"They already fought and Kitsune defeated him, but allowed him to live. That is of course, according to intel we got from Supergirl." Fate replied.
"Ah so Batman decided to share that intel with the league? What a troublesome fella." Kitsune said casually.
"You are correct of course. I have allowed Lobo to live so that he can take me to Scot Free and Big Barda. Without knowing exactly what they are capable of, I felt it prudent that I initially play possum and hit them with the element of surprise." Kitsune replied.
"I could go with you. I owe you at least that much, and besides, I would be honored to fight alongside you, especially when it concerns the safety of something as important to you as your mother." Fate replied.
"Thanks, but no thanks. The element of surprise will vanish if I go with you. Besides, I only came to say goodbye in case I am gone for a long time, I have every intention of coming back though. I just don't know how long I will be gone." Kitsune replied with conviction.
"What if this is a trap? What if Darkseid is the one that is waiting for you at the end of your journey?" Fate asked warily.
"All the more reason for you to stay put. I have a contingency for dealing with Darkseid, I've been preparing for him since I was born. I have allies and friends who I have also prepared for that war. You need not stain your hands, nor should you cause Inza any unnecessary stress." Kitsune replied.
"…."
"Fate, can you track him when he goes and then teleport me to him when the time comes? I'm not letting him go and face those monsters alone." Diana said mentally, hoping that Fate would catch her thoughts with his telepathic juju.
"You do realize that Kitsune is one of, if not thee strongest telepath in the world right? He will, or has already picked up on our telepathic communication." Fate retorted.
"I don't care! I'm not letting him go out there alone. If you won't help me, I'll find someone else to help me!" Diana said stubbornly, Fate starting to wonder if a good and pure heart automatically came with a stubborn mind.
"You'll have to find someone else. I cannot and will not betray Nathaniel."
Later that Evening:
Bang bang bang bang bang!
"What the hell…..Wonder Woman?" Naruto thought in dismay, wondering if this was what people meant when they talked about a déjà vu, as he saw Wonder Woman floating outside of his penthouse window, banging on his window and demanding that he let her in, just like a certain caped super heroine once did.
"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked as he opened the window for her to quickly come in, hoping that no one had actually seen her hovering outside of his window.
"I'm here to stick to you like glue. You quickly disappeared into a portal and ran away after I asked Fate to teleport me to you. You caught our telepathic communication didn't you? Well, I'm not going anywhere, or rather, you are not going anywhere without me." Diana insisted.
"So what, you're going to baby sit me until Lobo comes to pick me up?" Naruto asked incredulously, Diana's eyes widening in surprise all of a sudden.
"What?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Y-you really are Kitsune then…?" Diana asked, surprised.
"I thought you already knew that." Naruto said incredulously.
"You were wearing a mask at the Tower of Fate, and your voice was completely different. Honestly, I still had my doubts, but this pretty much confirms it." Diana retorted.
"I figured it would be hard to believe, it isn't a very good cover identity if people can easily believe it. But you're like a dog with a bone, its easy to tell that nothing short of killing you or knocking you unconscious would make you give up on this course of action." Naruto retorted.
"Does that vex you?" Diana asked.
"It both vexes me and intrigues me weirdly enough." Naruto retorted as he sat down on his couch, Diana also inviting herself onto the couch as she sat down across the blonde Uzumaki.
"…"
"So uh….how did you and Supergirl meet, I mean, I know how you met but how did you…you know…?" Diana asked with a light blush, her curiosity once again getting the better of her as she asked what she knew was both a personal question and a bit of a sore spot given the recent and very public break up of the two.
"It wasn't so different to how you and I have met. The first encounter was random luck, fate, I suppose. The second encounter was her coming to visit me in my penthouse late in the evening, hovering over the exact same window you were and banging on it in order to get my attention. The difference is that she didn't come to protect me but to seduce me and confess her feelings." Naruto retorted.
"So she initiated everything? Interesting." Diana said thoughtfully.
"….."
"I hope you're not here to seduce me. I don't think I'll be able to resist arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet, perhaps even in the universe. Nor would I want to. But that isn't the problem, the problem is that I am fresh from a terrible break up with a woman I loved who betrayed me. So my trust in women, and my willingness to commit myself to one, are extremely low right now." Naruto replied.
"Thank you, I appreciate your honesty. But I am not here to seduce you, I am here because I believe you need a friend right now. I am here simply to be here for you, as a friend. Besides, knowing what I know, about where you're going, and who you will go up against, I cannot, in my right mind, allow you to go through that alone. If anyone threatened my mother like that, I think it would be re-assuring to have someone to watch my back." Diana replied sincerely.
"…"
"You are pure of heart, it seems. But so was Supergirl, and she still betrayed me. A pure heart is not necessarily a good thing, as they say, too much of anything is a bad thing. If the glass is full of milk, the milk wil begin to spill, and when it does, it will make a mess." Naruto replied.
"Then let us hope that unlike Supergirl, I have the right quantity of milk." Diana replied coyly, causing Naruto to laugh harder than he thought possible at that moment, both amused and impressed by the female Wonder from Themicyra.
"Alright, I'll accept your help, if only as a way to verify your true intentions." Naruto replied.
"You have nothing to fear. This has nothing to do with the Justice League, this is just a friend helping out a friend. Besides, I wasn't giving you a choice in the matter. I was going to come with you whether you wanted my help or not." Diana said with a beautiful smile.
"I'm not sure we can convince Lobo to take you with us, I mean, he's not getting paid to…..Hehehe!" Naruto laughed suddenly as an idea quickly formed in his mind.
"What is so funny?" Diana asked curiously.
"You intended to use your lasso on him didn't you? To make him tell you where he is taking me and how to get there?" Naruto asked curiously.
"And what is so funny about that? It's a perfectly sound plan." Diana said with a confused frown.
"That isn't what is funny. What is funny is that there is a rather simple solution to all of this. I could just hire Lobo to kidnap you and take you to Mr Miracle and Big Barda. That way, he will have no choice but to take you with me." Naruto said with a mischievous smirk, causing Wonder Woman to start laughing as well as she finally got the joke.
"You sly dog. I can just imagine the look on Lobo's face. Fate was right about you, you really are a trickster." Diana laughed heartily, Naruto looking at her like he was seeing her for the very first time in that moment, unable to believe what a beautiful smile this Godess possessed.
'Damn! It's happening all over again! I'm falling into her trap!' Naruto thought warily, only to be broken from his thoughts by the sound of his window exploding, turning around to see none other than his ex girlfriend hovering in the air, eyes glowing a menacing red as she stared at him and Diana with murderous rage.
"Kara! What the fuck!" Naruto said in both anger and confusion, for a moment wondering if Kara was actually going to go through with it and blast them both with her heat vision as her eyes seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter before, without warning, she was gone, disappearing with a sonic boom as she flew away at mach 2 speed.
"That looks like a very angry and jealous ex girlfriend." Diana deadpanned.
"She's the one that dumped me though…"
"Only two days ago, and you are already in the arms of another beautiful super heroine" Diana retorted.
"But I'm not in your arms!" Naruto said incredulously.
"Try convincing her of that." Diana retorted.
"….."
"Shit! She better not foolishly share this with the media! She really has become a media whore since her first media interview hasn't she?" Naruto thought out loud.
"She's young, and consequently foolish. She will outgrow those tendencies." Diana said in defense of her fellow heroine.
"Maybe I should talk to her before I go. Maybe that will help. She….she seems to be in a lot of pain." Naruto said with concern.
"You would do that for? Despite how she betrayed you and broke your heart?" Diana asked with more curiosity than anything else.
"I mean, I don't hate her or anything like that. I still care about her, a lot. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I don't want to be the source of her pain." Naruto replied, causing Diana to smile warmly at Naruto.
"Then you are an even greater man than I imagined, Nathaniel. I was right to come here, so that I can meet this side of you, and I am even more determined now to fight alongside you, and to protect you." Diana said warmly.
'Fate, I think I am starting to understand why you are so attached to Nathaniel. He is a noble man…a noble God.' Diana thought warmly, seeds of affection become slowly sown directly into her heart.