Amanda Waller hated uncertainty. Her job as head of Task Force X, and by extension the Suicide Squad, required none. However, looking down at the recently admitted John Doe inside Coast City's Burn Ward, she knew that she couldn't use him for her mission. Legally speaking, the government can't even hold him, even if he did fall from space and was saved from death completely by a green light, or so the official story went.
The most logical thing for her to do is to set him up with an identity and move on, maybe establish him in Gotham with the way that he has been healing.
Inside Gotham City, Batman is on the prowl for information. Oracle had been somewhat of a bust, but she did identify the tattoo on the John Doe's shoulder as a Clan mark, possibly yakuza in nature. However, his investigation into one of the yakuza members that was operating in Gotham turned up basically nothing, and the low-level street thug couldn't identify the mark. Deciding that he had enough on his plate, he retired for the night.
Back at Coast City, the John Doe stirred in his drug induced coma, uncaring about the witnesses that are currently in the room, namely Amanda Waller. "Easy there son," she spoke softly to the John Doe, "You are in the hospital now. You're safe."
"No," the John Doe asked in a language that sounded like Japanese, "Sasuke, where are you?"
"Easy," she spoke again in Japanese, "you are in Coast City. Do you know who you are?"
"Uzumaki Naruto. Is Coast City near Kumo?" A nod of her head gave him all of the answers that he needed. Kaguya had won. Why he was still alive in one of her dimensions is another matter altogether. Perhaps he was waiting for her to finally kill him off, or perhaps she granted him a new life, and if she did, he was going to make the most of it.
Tears was flowing from his eyes as Amanda walked over to his bedside and wrapped a blanket around him. "Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended," she mused to herself. Right now, she had to help him get on his feet, and by god, she was going to use her connections to Checkmate to get it done.
Two Years Later
It was a relatively quiet night in Gotham City. The crime rate that a lowly bookstore that sat near the edge of what is commonly accepted as Crime Alley was low for home invasion. Naruto Uzumaki was just closing up shop for the night, the store a generous cover for the Wayne Foundation's drive to education. In reality, the bookstore also served as a cover to monitor Gotham for Amanda Waller, who Naruto, by way of using secure communications to Washington D.C., has constantly reported weekly. The bookstore also has a branch in nearby Metropolis, the store's main location, but Naruto prefers to stay out of that city whenever possible.
Tonight, Naruto is supposed to report to his superior, Waller. Climbing the stairs to his apartment and undoing the seals, he enters the apartment and logs on to the Task Force X's secure server. Soon the face of Amanda Waller appears on the screen.
"Report," she commanded.
"According to my intelligence network, crime in Gotham has decreased 27% since I have been moonlighting," Naruto promptly replied.
"However, there was a theft three days ago. While testing my new security seals for Bruce Wayne, thieves managed to steal a jade hawk from my possession."
"Is it harmless?"
"By itself? Yes, however, according to some occultist readings, the Incas of Ra's believed that if the sun rises on the Winter's equinox from the highest point in Gotham, something destructive will happen. Destructive enough to wipe out the city."
She breathed for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "I'm sending in the Suicide Squad. You are to work with them as their information broker."
"And Batman? He won't like it if they worked in his city."
"I'll deal with Batman."
Author's Notes and Statistics:
Another Chapter down. You may have notice that I have branched off into Suicide Squad. This move is somewhat intentional, and despite the lack of plot in the film (and making it up as a result), making this flow according to movie releases is the best way to handle it.
This introduction arc will introduce Naruto to the rest of the League (I hope).
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