What is up peoples. Please Read This First Paragraph, it is VERY important: Before we get started, I would like to say, I'm sorry, I said "Ties that Bind" would be next, and I'm about halfway done with it at this point, but I literally cannot stop writing this story. My others will be updated soon, as my guilt at not updating is beginning to outweigh my need to write this particular story like I'm addicted to it.
"Hi, my name is Fan of Fanfics" –Readers: "Hi Fan of Fanfics." Author-"I'm here, because I have an addiction to writing this story. I feel unable to do anything else." –Readers: "Shut up and update your other stories!" (One throws a shoe at my head).
Well, nothing left to do but post the disclaimer. BTW! I have a bit of a Star Wars reference in this chapter, fairly well hidden. It's from Episode II. The first one who can spot it and tell it to me will win a sneak peak at whatever is the next chapter of whatever story they choose, even if I haven't written the chapter yet!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Justice League, Teen Titans, or anything that exists in the DC universe.
What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.
~George Eliot
"Hello Yugito." The women known to others as Mercy Graves turned around to find her apartment filled. She just smirked.
"I knew my brothers would come visit me soon enough, especially after I contacted you, Naruto" she said, as her form shifted. What were brown eyes faded to a pair of slit-pupil, yellow eyes, and her hair turned blond as it grew to a length reaching near the small of her back. Outside her clothes, the only other transformation they could see were her clawed hands, and the two cat tails that sprang from her tailbone.
"So, Naruto, Gaara, who are these three?" she asked, pouring herself a drink.
"The blonde is Gaara's kid, the huge one is Killer Bee's and the pink hair is yours" said Naruto, causing Yugito to spit her drink out, in a comical spit-take.
"You can't be serious" she said, but only got a hard look from her brothers. Walking up and circling Jinx, in a way that reminded the teen girl of a shark, she did everything from stare, to even smelling her. "Oh yeah, she's mine" said the blonde. "How you doin' kiddo?" she asked, merely waving it off, pouring herself a fresh drink.
"You left me with dad and I never heard from you…ever" said Jinx, a bit of animosity in her voice at Yugito's behavior.
"Yes well, not to ruin our whole relationship right off the bat, but me and your dad didn't even like each other. The only reason he got you is because we both agreed that I'm not exactly the best role model" said Yugito. "Trust me."
"Why should I? You have never done anything for me, "mom." Why the Hell should I "trust you?" asked Jinx. Yugito narrowed her eyes at the girl.
"Listen Pipsqueak" she said, a twinge of anger in her voice, along with a bit of…regret, Naruto thought. "You don't like my decisions? Take it up with your sister, wherever the hell she is. I sleep with a different guy every week, and I plot to destroy humanity. That's who I am. You don't like it, deal with it. That's the way it is. It was for the best." Jinx's eyes suddenly glowed pink with a tinge of purple, before the glass in Yugito's hand shattered.
"Did you know she had a second kid?" asked Naruto quietly to Gaara.
"Yeah, but I didn't think to mention it considering she wasn't in the same place as these three" said Gaara.
"For the best?" shouted Jinx. "Look at me! I'm 17 years old and I've been in prison over 13 times! Because of my powers, I've never been able to even have a boyfriend! How good does my life seem to you now?" The two just glared at each other, staring each other down, neither willing to back down. They both heard a throat clearing, and turned to see Naruto, staring at the two.
"I know you both are having a moment, but could we please get down to the matter at hand. You said you had some ideas that would be beneficial to me" said the Kitsune King.
"Yeah" said Yugito. "I did. A few days ago, my boss, Luthor, was captured by the Justice League and sent to prison. Before he left, he put me in charge of his company. A little money here, a little money there, bam! You have a separate company of your own whose sole purpose is the manufacture of weapons and selling them to other countries. LexCorp will get rid of any paper trail, and anything remaining can be tied back to Luthor himself. Basically, you can instigate wars in other countries, and profit off said wars."
"Now there is an idea…but the problem is finding someone whose morals are sufficiently low enough to run the company for me" said Naruto.
"And that's where I come in" said Gaara. "Let's face it, out of the three of us, I'm pretty sure I have more business experience in my little finger than either of you have in your whole bodies."
"And where does this experience come from?" asked Naruto.
"Oh yes, dear brother, do enlighten us" said Yugito.
"You forget, not only was I Kazekage, but the last time I was out, I actually was an executive in a large company" said Gaara.
"And what company was this, exactly?" asked Terra, looking up at her father, remembering that he was indeed wearing a business suit in the picture in her locket.
"Wayne Enterprises" said Gaara, making Yugito's jaw drop.
"What the Hell is Wayne Enterprises?" asked Naruto.
"They are probably the only company, tech or otherwise, to be more widely known and used than LexCorp." replied Yugito, using the far shorter Jinx's head as a leaning post, making the girl step away, only to be disappointed when her mother didn't fall, but rather used her tails to keep herself propped up.
"Alright, we have our bases covered. Now though, I have other plans that need to be attended to" said Naruto. "Let's hope Fu is up to the job…who am I kidding, she'll jump at the chance to slaughter humanity" said Naruto, beginning to leave, his group doing the same.
"Why did you do it?" Naruto turned around, seeing Yugito staring at him.
"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.
"Most of us were dead after our Akatsuki captured us and extracted our demons. Instead of merely unleashing the bijuu, you gave them back to us, and brought us back to life, making us the new bijuu. I never asked, but I want to know why?" replied Yugito, crossing her arms over her chest.
Naruto just smirked, before he and his group disappeared in a crack of fire. Yugito stared at the spot for a moment, before downing her drink and merely throwing the glass away. She narrowed her eyes as she pondered the same question she had just asked her brother. Along with herself, the other Jinchuriki who had lost their demons had died. He could have easily taken Gaara and merely freed the other Bijuu, but instead, he resurrected the Jinchuriki, fusing them with their old tenants.
Walking up to where they had all disappeared, she sniffed the air, before her claws glowed a silvery color. Slashing at the nothing, a large gash formed in the open air, allowing her to see the group walking through an alleyway, their back turned to her. Stepping in the opening, the portal closed behind her, and she found herself in the same alleyway.
As the group in front kept walking, Jinx felt odd, before lifting her head and sniffing. It seemed to her to be an odd thing to do, but it felt almost natural. And there was a scent coming from somewhere that she thought she had just left behind. Naruto smirked as he saw his niece pick out the smell of her mother. Changes had been happening with both his nieces since he had met them. He didn't know if it was a reaction from being in contact with his youki, or if it came from their own demonic blood surfacing. Either way, changes were taking place. However, Mammoth hadn't changed at all, nor was he near as nervous as Jinx and Terra, leading Naruto to believe there was something going on with the boy that he wasn't being told.
Jinx quickly turned to see Yugito walking up to them, frowning at her mother. The two were not getting along very well, Naruto noticed. Something to be expected. However, he said nothing. He may have had well more power than his sister, but she had him in age and experience. He had been alive long enough to know that you don't mess with either unless you are fully prepared. Considering the fact that his skills had degraded in the void for the last few millennia, he didn't think he could beat Yugito as easily as he could normally. It was doable, but still.
"Any particular reason you followed us?" asked Jinx angrily, turning back, not looking at the woman.
"I followed you because I felt like it. Like it or not, information alone will get you nowhere, so you still need me for several things" replied Yugito. "I could have let you all try and fail, but then I'd be stuck in the same position. What are we doing here anyway?"
"Well, unfortunately, when we went back to my den, it was swarming with police, and half of my cultists had been captured, so, we got some rooms in a hotel a ways away. And I hate to point out the obvious, but if we never are seen going in or out, people will start getting suspicious" replied Naruto. Yugito was about to retort, when the area was rocked by an explosion. Peeking out from their alley, the group saw a burning building, a partially destroyed police car, and Naruto saw what looked like some form of ape and a balding man, both wearing similar uniforms, run down an alley on the opposite side of the street.
"That's Luthor" said Yugito. "Wonder what he's doing hanging out with the Ultra Humanite."
"I don't know" said Naruto. "Gaara, why don't you find out." The sand user nodded, before his body broke up into sand and he blew away after the two escapees like he was being blown by a hurricane force wind. Naruto's attention was diverted from Gaara when he heard the squealing of tires and a hissing sound. Looking back to the building, Naruto and the group saw the bat-mobile drive up, the Dark Knight leaping out.
"This guy gets around, doesn't he?" asked Terra.
"I guess" replied Naruto. "Let's see if his pals show up."
Batman looked up the building, seeing a girl in one of the upper floors. Using his grappling gun, he hooked a line and launched himself up and in the window. Careful of the flames, he searched, finding the young girl coughing in the corner of the room. Using his cape to block a spew of flames, he managed to get to the girl.
"I'm scared" she said meekly, cowering in the Dark Knight's arms.
"Don't be" he replied, lifting her up and using his cape to shield her from the flames as he tried to get back to the window. He was cut off however, as several beams and flaming ceiling tiles fell in his way, blocking the only path through the room. Backing to his starting position, he felt the wall against his back begin to crumble. He heard the floor beneath him creak and watched the entirety of the room before him crumble and fall out, and the section he was standing in seemed about to fall as well.
And fall it did. Before he could reach with his free hand to get his grappling gun, he heard a noise and felt as though he had been grabbed from behind. Once they were outside and safe from the flames, he looked up to see Hawkgirl had grabbed him, carrying the girl and him out to safety. As they landed, he let the girl to the ground, before they heard a man's voice call. The girl looked over to see the man, before running to him.
"Daddy!" she shouted as the two embraced in a hug.
"You know, I'm used to being thanked when I save someone" said Hawkgirl to Batman in a joking manner.
"I'm not used to being saved" replied Batman darkly.
Not two seconds later both Superman and Flash arrived. "What happened to Luthor and Humanite?" asked Batman.
"We don't know where they are, they escaped and vanished without a trace" replied Superman.
"Come on guys, it's just the two of them. How much trouble could they be?" asked Flash, and merely received glares from the other three.
"Oh yes, how much indeed." The four heroes quickly turned, pressing their backs together. They knew the voice all too well at this point. Sure enough from Superman's side, out stepped Naruto from the shadows, making the Man of Steel narrow his eyes in a glare that would make Batman jealous.
"Batman, I don't know if it's coincidence or sheer dumb luck that we keep running into each other, but here we are again. Superman, Flash, nice to see you both again, and it's especially nice to see you again, Hawkgirl" said Naruto. The winged Super-heroine raised her mace in front of herself, at the same time electrifying it.
"I'd love to stay and fight, but it would just be too unfair. You could barely face me with all of you. You have no hope with only four, especially when I have family here" he continued, as Mammoth, Jinx, Terra, and Yugito also stepped out from the shadows.
"We will stop you" said Batman. "Regardless of your family reunion."
"Yeah" said Flash, though the red speedster wasn't nearly as confident as he sounded, his leg giving off phantom pains.
"Well, you'll have your chance, but let's see if you can take it. How's J'onn by the way?" said Naruto. That did it. Hawkgirl flew at Naruto with a battle cry, bringing her electrified mace down on him. She was shocked when in one swift motion, he grabbed the mace and deflected the blow, bringing her in close and delivering a knee to the gut. She doubled over in pain and stumbled back. And with that, some sort of signal was given, and the other present Leaguers went on the offensive.
Flash rushed in, dashing around Naruto at high speeds, creating a tornado vacuum around the blonde. He was trying to knock him out from lack of oxygen, but instead, Naruto merely stuck his foot out, tripping up Flash, who at the time was too focused to realize the obstacle was there. He tripped and wiped out, skidding on the pavement.
Hawkgirl, gaining her second wind, got up and prepared to go after Naruto from behind, but she was tackled to the side and slammed into the side of a building. She looked over to see the blonde woman who was currently with Naruto, standing there, smirking. As she prepared to lunge at Hawkgirl, she was struck in the jaw by a red blur, before a red blur from the other direction struck her on the side of her head, sending her spiraling into the opposite building.
Several of the police who were watching the fight, began firing at Naruto and his team, but Terra used her powers to create a tidal wave with the street, throwing the cops back along with their vehicles. At the same time, Naruto took time to notice that the Bat-mobile had gone. He didn't have long to ponder its whereabouts or those of its driver, as he had to dodge a mace from Hawkgirl, who had once more taken the offensive.
Yugito tried to dodge Flash, but was unable to move fast enough. Even her swipes were unable to hit their targets. Flash darted in and hit her with an uppercut to the stomach, before dashing off again.
"Come on" he said from behind her, dashing away when she took a shot at him. "Do we really have to do this?" She tried to attack him again, but he once again ran faster than she could move, before leaning against the wall of the building. "Too slow" he taunted.
Jinx heard the taunt, and launched a hex bolt at the building above Flash, causing the cement to crumble and making several tons of bricks fall at the speedster. He looked up just in time, before spinning at a high speed, forming a red tornado. As the bricks fell, they were thrown off to the side, and Flash remained unharmed.
"Why don't you let your mother show you how it's done, Kitten" said Yugito, looking at Jinx smugly, only getting a burning glare in response.
"What is this, bring your daughter to work day or something?" asked Flash, hearing Yugito's remark.
"In a manner of speaking" said Yugito, before her form burst into blue flames and expanded, until she took the form of a massive cat, two giant flaming tails swinging behind her.
"Oh Shit" said Flash as one of the tails slammed into the side of the building, causing a far larger rain of bricks to fall, but he managed to dash out before they could hit him.
Superman's feet dragged the ground under Mammoth's savage strength. Using his own, he used Mammoth's momentum to swing around and launch him through another building. Turning to Naruto, he was going to rush the blonde demon, but heard something coming from behind. Turning back, he tried to block Mammoth, but the red-head landed a crushing blow that took down Superman's guard and hit him straight between the eyes. The Man of Steel saw a bright flash as the hit connected, and he felt himself get blasted through a wall.
"You'll have to do better than that" taunted Naruto, ducking under a swing from Hawkgirl's mace. The Thanagarian shouted in rage as she sent a swing up toward his jaw, but Naruto leaned backwards and flipped away, nailing her in the jaw with a kick that sent her flying. Recovering quickly, she spread her wings, flying higher and higher, before bringing them in close and dive-bombing him, waiting till the last minute before spreading her wings and pulling up. She came in fast, and swung her mace at Naruto, causing him to dodge. She expected just that however, and spun around and slammed a kick to the side of his head. The demon was sent flying into the middle of the street, skidding on the road.
Naruto stood back up and took an observation of the fight. Superman was engaging Mammoth, Terra was shielding the fight from the present police officers, Jinx had taken to fighting Hawkgirl, while Flash was fighting Yugito in her demon form. The only one who wasn't present was Batman, and Naruto had no idea where he had gone. Suddenly though, he felt something wrap around his hands tightly, before looking down and finding his hands bound by some sort of cable. Following the line, he saw it enter an alley. He couldn't see through the darkness, but he didn't have to as he was suddenly blinded by a pair of high-beams, before the roaring of an engine could be heard.
Naruto still had spots in his eyes as he heard the squeal of bat-mobile's tires. The Batman's mode of transportation sped out of the alley and down the street. "Oh, not good" said Naruto, as he was ripped off his feet and dragged down the road behind the bat-mobile.
He gained his bearings, before trying to pull himself up onto his feet, but failed miserably. Trying again, he channeled youki to his feet, allowing him to stay up. The youki though caused his feet to stick slightly to the road, tearing up the asphalt while simultaneously holding the bat-mobile back. Not by much, as it was still going too fast for Naruto's taste. Batman saw that he was losing speed and quickly made a sharp corner, releasing the cable. Naruto went flying, crashing into a building. He broke through the wall, along with several others, before coming out through the other side into an alley. He hit the ground and rebound up, slamming into the wall of another building, rebounding before landing on top of a back-alley dumpster and falling to the ground. Using his massive strength, Naruto snapped the cable and stood up. Shaking with feral rage, his body became red flame before turning into a missile that launched back through the building back to the fight.
"Where did Naruto go?" asked Superman to Batman, the latter having just gotten back.
"We went for a ride" said Batman, looking around. Mammoth, Jinx, and Terra had each been subdued, but Yugito was giving them trouble.
"We can't get close to her" shouted Flash as Hawkgirl was swatted by one of Yugito's tails.
"You don't have to get close to her. She's not nearly as strong as Naruto, meaning she might not be able to withstand some of the tactics we use on him" said Superman, inhaling deeply, and blowing at Yugito, his icy breath putting out even her flaming body. It shrunk before Yugito was revealed, leaving her body exposed. She leaned down and crossed her arms over her chest and shivered at the cold. She looked down and saw a sheet of ice forming over her body. She tried to breathe, but the air was so cold her lungs caused her to cough it out again.
The blizzard stopped suddenly, causing Yugito to look up, seeing Naruto send a punch to the side of Superman's head, blasting him through the already burned building, causing it to collapse. Flash dashed at Naruto, preparing to deliver a strike, but Naruto grabbed his hand and used Flash's momentum to fling him into the wall. Batman attempted to fight him hand to hand, but Naruto either dodged or deflected the strikes.
"I would expect you of all people to be at least some sort of challenge" said Naruto. "But it appears you really are only human. You can't beat me when I'm not even fighting back."
"Who said I'm trying to beat you?" said Batman. Naruto realized what was going on and spun around just in time to take an electrified mace to the face. He managed to hold his ground, only getting knocked back a few feet. When Hawkgirl pulled the mace out, she watched Naruto's face heal. Dropping her mace, she threw a punch at the blonde, which he deflected. She then tried to kick him in the head, but he tilted his head a bit, making her foot miss. Grabbing her by the throat, Naruto lifted Hawkgirl off the ground, the Thanagarian struggling to breathe. Naruto felt a blow to the back, and then another, turning his head, he saw Batman slamming his fists into Naruto's spine. Using his tails, Naruto wacked the Dark Knight on top of the rubble Superman was still under.
"You remind me of her" he said, loosening his grip enough for her to talk.
"What do you mean" said Hawkgirl.
"It's simple. I'm going to use you to bring back my lost love…Even if it kills you" he added as an afterthought.
"You're insane" she said.
"Maybe" said Naruto, bringing her close, locking lips with her, making her eyes go wide. She fought to get away, but wasn't strong enough. Bringing her leg back, she sent her knee thrusting forward, connecting with Naruto's balls, causing him to release her. His hands found his injured privates, and he had a look of pain on his face.
"If I couldn't regenerate, I would be so much angrier than I am" he said, glaring at Hawkgirl, who couldn't help but smirk. Lashing his tails out, he grabbed hold of each of the members of his party, before they disappeared in a crack of fire, Naruto locking on to Gaara's demonic signal, bringing them to him.
Flash, Batman, and Superman all groaned as they walked up to Hawkgirl, rubbing their battered bodies.
"Well, at least we know one of his weaknesses" said Hawkgirl, still smirking, getting a chuckle from Flash.
Naruto and his family arrived to find Gaara waiting for them on top of some abandoned building on the other side of the city. Naruto sighed. Even in his time, it was way too cliché for the "bad guys" to hang out in old abandoned buildings.
"They haven't come out yet" said Gaara. "They made some calls, contacted a few people, but I don't know who or for what purpose."
"Well, Lexie was diagnosed with kryptonite poisoning before being sent away. The doctors say it's terminal, but knowing my boss, he'll try anything to cure it" said Yugito, sitting on the ledge of the building.
"Hmm, maybe we can use that to our advantage" said Naruto, a twisted smirk adorning his face.
Inside the old building, the Ultra Humanite was staring at a massive computer screen, newly taken body scans of Luthor on it, along with nearly a terabyte of data flashing across the screen.
"Well, is there anything that can be done?" asked Luthor, pulling on a purple shirt along with two straps to hold weapons and other gadgets he might need at a moment's notice.
"Well, by the looks of things, we can at least slow down the progression, but I'm afraid there's no hope of curing you" replied Humanite, turning toward the man. Luthor looked like he was going to throw a tantrum, but they suddenly heard a laugh from up in the rafters.
"No hope he says" said the laughing voice. "Anything is possible. It's just a matter of whether or not your mind is bound by the constraints of reality." Pulling out his pistol, Luthor fired several shots into the darkness, but each time heard the metallic sound of hitting nothing.
"A bit jumpy are we?" This time, the voice came from directly behind the two. Turning, Luthor put a bullet through the…man's…head. He didn't even fall over, but just stood there, staring as the bullet wormed its way out of his head, before falling to the floor. His skull and the skin over it then healed flawlessly.
"Might I inquire as to just who or what you are?" asked Humanite. Sure, in the prison he was more privileged than other prisoners, but he didn't care much for watching the news.
"Wait, you're the one that not only beat Superman in a fight, but nearly did the same to the entire Justice League. That demon everybody keeps going on about" said Luthor, his eyes widening in recognition.
The one, but not the only" said Naruto, bowing in mock appreciation at being recognized. "I am here, because I have a proposition for you."
"What kind of proposition?" asked Luthor, sitting in a chair, crossing his legs and folding his hands in front of his face.
"I know about the kryptonite poisoning, and I can get rid of it for you" said Naruto. "But of course, I would require something in return."
"Name it" said Luthor. "Money is no object."
"I don't want your money" replied Naruto. "The prize I am after is a little harder to get."
"And what is this prize you so desperately seek?" asked Humanite.
"I know you plan on striking out at the Justice League. Bring me Hawkgirl…alive…and you will live to old age" said Naruto. Luthor seemed to be contemplating the idea.
"What do you want with the bird?" he asked.
"That is no concern of yours" replied Naruto. Luthor took on a look of indecision for a moment. It was then that Humanite voiced the concern he himself was having.
"Are you sure we can trust him Luthor?" asked Humanite.
"You can indeed trust me, because as a kitsune demon, I am bound by my word. If I were to break it…well, let's just say some unpleasant things would happen to me" replied Naruto. "But as a token of my good faith, I will allow you to live long enough to fulfill your end of the bargain." He held out his hand to Lex, who smirked before shaking hands with the blonde demon.
As soon as the hands made contact, Luthor felt as though he were burning from the inside. His entire body was racked with pain, and he felt as though he were having trouble breathing. Humanite looked on, amazed, as Luthor glowed green just like kryptonite, before most of it flowed over into Naruto's hand, pulled there like a magnet. When the two let go, Luthor fell to the ground, and Naruto held up a green light in his hand.
"Let's just put this away for safe keeping" he said, before the glow seemed to turn to smoke and become vacuumed into the crystal necklace he wore. It glowed dimly-green for a moment, before it became its usual color. "In the event you fail, our deal is void, and you can have it back. I'll be sending some relatives of mine to keep an eye on you though, for two reasons. One, so they can alert me if what's left of your poisoning becomes too severe and I have to save your wretched human life, and two, so they can make certain if Hawkgirl is captured, she stays that way until I return."
"Lex, how do you feel?" asked Humanite.
"I feel…better than I have in years" said Luthor, standing up before clutching his chest in pain.
"Remember, the disease is still there. I've just allowed you to live with it longer" said Naruto. The blonde then disappeared in a burst of flames, and in his place stood Terra, Mammoth, and Jinx.
"I take it you are these relatives he spoke of?" said Humanite.
"You bet" said Mammoth, towering over everyone in the room, making Luthor for the first time in ages feel slightly intimidated.
"We're here to make sure things go according to plan" said Jinx, a large grin plastered on her face, giving her a look of insanity. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard from somewhere in the building.
"It appears my team has assembled. Better go meet them. They're no good to me if they kill each other" said Luthor, as he and Humanite went for the door. Terra just looked at the other two and shrugged, before following. As they exited the room, they went over to the railing of the second floor, looking down at the main lobby to see some…odd characters, even by their standards. There was a man who wore an outfit that made him look like a cross between a lizard and a snake, a human-cheetah hybrid, a large, ghostly white man who looked like he had been dead for a while, a floating woman with black hair in a pink and black costume, and last but not least, a man wearing all black, with a black top-hat and a cane. As Luthor spoke to them, the half-breeds had their own conversation.
"So, what do you guys think?" asked Terra.
"Please. We're minors technically, and we could still take these guys down by the looks of them. How are they possibly going to beat the Justice League?" asked Jinx.
"I don't know. Anyone wanna make a few bets?" asked Mammoth.
"I bet twenty bucks that the Justice League takes all of these guys down" said Jinx.
"You are so on" replied Mammoth, the two shaking hands.
"Oh what the heck, I'll say twenty bucks that they manage to get Hawkgirl, but are forced to retreat anyways" said Terra.
"Alright" said Mammoth. "Can't wait to spend my forty bucks."
"Really? When do you plan on getting that money, because I'm winning this bet" said Jinx, her eyes glowing pink.
"Hey, no fair using your powers to cheat. Besides, Naruto would have your head if you screwed up the capture" said Terra. Jinx's eyes took on their normal color. She crossed her arms in a pout.
"Fine, no powers" she said in a huff.
Up on the Watchtower, the League was discussing their growing problems. With Naruto gathering allies, and Luthor on the loose, there was a disaster waiting to happen, almost anticipating itself.
"Do you know who Naruto's new friends are?" asked Superman, directing the question at Batman, who was currently going through the data he received from Raven and the other Titans. Bringing up a few files, he began:
"I ran into the three kids back in Jump City, which is where they were recruited. The blonde girl is commonly known as Terra, though whether that is her real name or based on her powers is unclear. She had the ability to manipulate earth and stone at will. According to Naruto, she is the half-demon daughter of one of his eight brothers and sisters. The demon in question is known as the Ichibi no Shukaku, or the One-tailed Tanuki. The second girl is known only by the alias Jinx. She is also, according to Naruto, to be a half-demon, the daughter of his sister, the Nibi no Nekomata, or the Two-tailed Hell-cat" said Batman.
"One-tailed, two tailed, nine-tailed, I'm beginning to sense a pattern" said Flash.
"Yes well, the other is known by the name Mammoth. His sheer size and strength apparently come from the fact that he is the half-breed son of the Hachibi no Kyogyū, the Eight-tailed Giant Ox" finished Batman. "And just leaves the other blonde. Based on her transformation, I believe we have our Two-tailed demon."
"What's the deal with the tails anyway?" asked Hawkgirl.
"According to the Demonology tomes Raven translated for me, there are nine demons known as the tailed beasts. Each one can be ranked by their tails, as they aren't just there for show. The number of tails shows their level of power, meaning Naruto is the strongest of them" replied Batman.
"But is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" asked Wonder Woman.
"It's both." The league turned to see J'onn enter the room.
"You're awake" said Superman. The Martian merely nodded.
"Maybe now you can explain some of your ramblings" said Batman, turning toward J'onn.
"I can tell you only what I know" said J'onn. "While I was in his mind, the first thing I stumbled upon was a memory." Sending out a telepathic wave, the League saw their Watchtower fade away, and were suddenly left standing in a back alley. The buildings seemed to be a cross between modern architecture and that of ancient Japan. Several signs around the alley were posted in something that looked very akin to Japanese.
"I don't speak Japanese" said Flash.
"Don't worry" said J'onn. "I'll allow you to understand what's being said."
"What's being said?" said Wonder Woman.
"Wait for it" said J'onn, before a dim glow appeared outside the alley. Stepping out, John quickly stepped aside as a child, no older than five, quickly ran past the Green Lantern and into the alley, diving beneath a dumpster. A child that looked incredibly familiar.
"The Hell?" said John, seeing what was coming before a mob of people, armed with torches and makeshift weapons of all kinds.
Batman's eyes went to where the child was hiding, then to the mob, before his eyes widened in realization as he remembered Naruto's words back in Jump City. "Have you ever seen a child beaten within an inch of his life by a MOB? I HAVE, I WAS IN IT!" That's what he had meant. But if this boy was Naruto, why didn't he use his power to escape?
Green Lantern used his power ring to form a shield around the dumpster, but the mob went through as if nothing were there. "What's going on here?" he asked.
"We're watching a memory" replied J'onn. "This has already happened, we cannot interfere." The league was forced to watch as the child that was Naruto they realized, was ripped out from under the dumpster, before being brutally beaten, near the point of actual torture. Hawkgirl was only slightly aware that both Flash and Wonder Woman had thrown up at the spectacle, and she herself was trying hard not to do the same.
When the mob had finished nearly ten minutes later, they took out two bladed weapons, ones that Flash recognized as one had been stabbed into his leg a few days before. Holding the boy up against the wall, they thrust the bladed weapons through his hands and pinned him against the wall.
"Burn in Hell, Demon child" said one member of the mob, preparing to light Naruto on fire with his torch.
"Lay another finger on this boy and your life is forfeit" said a voice, before a man in a dog mask appeared in front of the man, short sword next to the man's throat. The man stopped for a moment, before throwing his torch at the boy, setting him on fire. As the screams of the young Naruto filled their minds, they saw the dog mask run his sword through the man's throat before they reappeared on the Watchtower.
"He used to be human" said Superman.
"Apparently so. How he gained his power, I have no idea, but if we could find out, we may be able to stop him" replied J'onn. "And that's not all I learned. He is incredibly dangerous in more ways than we already know of."
"What do you mean?" asked Hawkgirl.
"He is not entirely mentally stable" replied the Martian Manhunter. "His mind is split into eight separate beings."
"Split personalities?" asked John.
"In a sense. The first is himself, the one he normally shows to the world. The seven others cannot take control of him, but they can influence his decision making" said J'onn. "The seven others are each representations of what humans refer to as, the seven deadly Sins. Lust, Pride, Wrath, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, and Sloth, each one exactly as their name implies.
"Lust? Well, that might explain what he wants with Hawkgirl" said Flash.
"No, he said something about using me to bring back his old love. What I can't understand is why he would choose me" replied Hawkgirl.
"It is because he has confirmed you as his lost love's reincarnation" said J'onn, getting wide eyes from the others.
"You have to be kidding. I thought his lover was human, not Thanagarian?" said Hawkgirl.
"Doesn't matter" said John. "Reincarnation doesn't care about species. It's just one soul connecting to a new body. Apparently, her soul has connected to you."
"Oh…joy…" she said sarcastically.
"How could he bring her back through Hawkgirl?" asked Wonder Woman.
"See, with reincarnation, you have to realize that the soul is split. One half to be endlessly reincarnated, while the other gets to move on to the afterlife. If he can reunite the half residing in you, and the half that's already moved on, well, things aren't pretty. It's only been done once, and the person died from the joining of the two minds" said John.
"Well then, we can't allow Hawkgirl to be used for that" said Superman.
"If this guy gets any more power, we may not have a choice" said Batman grimly, before the monitor he was staring at flared to life with a newsfeed from the Metropolis Federal Building.
Chapter End.
Hope you enjoyed, and remember that the first to find the Star Wars Episode II reference gets to see whatever new chapter they want, which will be sent to them once it is finished.