The Ninth
Chapter 4:
-(X)-
I own nothing
-X-
"Normal Speech"
'Thought'
"Demonic Speech"
Television/Newspaper
-X-
Naruto's eyes opened under the thick soupy liquid of the Lazarus Pit, originally, he hadn't planned on taking a dip himself but he didn't have the time to wait for the cells of his eyes to heal and adjust. A process that could take some time depending on how bad the damage was and considering that he took the flash point blank, he'd be fighting blind for some time.
He could feel the powers of the pit healing his body, fixing his eyes, rejuvenating him to the point of feeling like he had just awoken from the best sleep he'd ever had.
The liquid around him began to bubble, changing from the signature blue green color that all the pits have to a crystal clear pool that looked like the freshest water on earth.
-X-
Over thirty feet above him, Batman found himself getting ambushed by a group of guards that came to the rescue of their boss Ra's Al Ghul. Each had assault rifles on them as well as a curved saber with a razors edge, but seeing as their target was now in-between them and their leader each reached for their sword and attacked.
Ducking, dodging, and weaving between swings, Batman made it seem like child splay as he took each down one by one, the fact that he did so without causing permeant damage or killing them made it all the more impressive.
"Just give it up," the caped crusader growled, standing in the middle of the group of now unconscious bodyguards, their weapons scattered on the ground near them. "Your finished, Ra's."
"Well done detective," Ra's Al Ghul stated while looking at the man, glancing over to the edge of the pit momentarily, "It's good to know that I had made the right choice in successors... too bad that you allow your morals to get in the way."
The sickly green glow that the pit normally had suddenly vanished, replacing itself with a soft white glow moments before the sound of boiling water reached their ears.
Thinking that Ra's had planned this, Batman turned to demand an answer only to find both Ra's Al Ghul and Talia looking just as perplexed.
The water from the pit exploded upwards in a unnatural manner, forming a large pillar of water that threw something out onto the rock overhang near the center of the pit. It was Naruto, soaked to the bone and looking as healthy as ever while small wisps of steam rose off his body.
Ra's Al Ghul looked back to Batman with a amused smirk, "But it would seem that you failed in your endeavor, you were too late to stop this."
"And what was that?" Batman prodded, hoping to gain information.
Only Ra's Al Ghul saw his ploy, "Nice try detective, but I am not falling for such trickery. I would offer you a chance to escape but I doubt our friend there will allow it, seeing as you attacked him not minutes ago." the man stated while looking pointedly behind the Bat.
Turning quickly, Batman's eyes widened as he saw the blonde from before staring into his eyes... standing just a foot away.
Jumping back as the blond raised his foot and slammed it down with a heel drop, Batman staggered as he saw the stone crack under the force. He knew that if he was hit directly by the blond it was game over for him but luckily, he had some experience with these kinds of fights, after-all, he had fought Bane more than once.
Naruto vanished suddenly, making the man stop and feel dread build up inside. He could handle someone like Bane who had some super strength but superhuman speed too?
"Your skills are commendable," the blonde said while reappearing a few feet away with his arms crossed, "Few have what one needs to avoid such attacks." He vanished again and Batman felt his back scream in pain before finding himself sailing through the air.
Landing, he fell and skidded across the floor, coming to rest at Ra's and Talia's feet, stopping just long enough to look up and see them looking at him with raised brows. It hurt slightly to see Talia seeming to not care, she had been in love with him for a while and would always call him 'my beloved' when she saw him or spoke about him. But before he knew it, the blonde had him by the ankle and slung him across the room again, this time knocking him out when he impacted with the wall.
-X-
Bruce groaned as he laid in his bed while Alfred put away his pain medication. "Oh my head hurts," he moaned, "Alfred how long will it take for these to work?"
Alfred, his ever faithful butler and friend, looked at the bottle, "Hmm... it dosen't say sir, but in my opinion you were lucky that they left you alive... and in one piece."
Bruce had to agree, when he awoke, he had been dropped off in his hotel room where he woke up and managed to send a distress signal back to the states, where Alfred and Barbara (Who was now healed) came to get him and return him.
For obvious reasons, he couldn't go to the Hospital with these unexplained injuries, especially since he was suppose to have been in Gotham all week. Luckily, he had a private doctor that got him taken care of and on pain medication to ease his pain while healing.
Barbara on the other hand was now in perfect condition, she was also a bit miffed now that she had to do her thing alone. First she had been stuck at home or behind the computer in the Batcave and now she was stuck fighting crime alone unless Alfred wasn't too busy not to help out with the technical support like he sometimes did.
But as Alfred left him to try and sleep, his thoughts went to what happened in the desert. That blonde wasn't one of Ra's Al Ghul's men like he had previously believed, no, he had to he a new player in this some how. But those thoughts started to blur as his medicine began to work, sending him into the world of dreams.
-X-
"Amazing," Talia Al Ghul gasped, watching as her father arose from the waters of what use to be a Lazarus Pit. All the signs of his aging had vanished from the man, Ra's looked like a fit middle-aged man now instead of a weakening old man.
With the changes to what use to be the pit, they found out that they had to actually walk into the waters now, causing them to have to walk around the outer rim to the edge of the pool where one could walk in and gradually get to the deep end. As it turned out, Naruto had caused it to throw him back up to them with his powers, something the Lazarus Pits had always done in the past for them.
"My mind..." the man muttered in shock as he touched the sides of his head, "It's clear... I'm thinking as clearly as ever."
"The arcane chemicals within were raw and unrefined, they were unfinished products to creating what is known as the mythical Fountain of Youth." Naruto explained.
Ra's Al Ghul smirked, clinching his fist. "The Fountain of Youth... never ending life... all mine..."
"The chains of time may no longer bind you but you are far from undying," Naruto told him suddenly, "There is a price to be paid for this,"
"And what is that?"
"The Fountain does not grant immortality, you can be killed and you can still grow old, this merely resets the clock and reverts you to your prime but like with anything, it is not unlimited, the more the Fountain is used the less water is left. This fountain holds enough to keep a single man ageless for a thousand lifetimes, but the more who use it, the less there is,"
Ra's Al Ghul was silent for a moment before nodding, "It is more than enough time to realize my dreams or at least find a successor to do so in my stead."
Naruto hummed, "Yes well we have both upheld our agreement, you have the Fountain of Youth..."
"And you shall have my support," Ra's Al Ghul finished, "I shall have a plane ready to return you to Gotham, if that is your wish,"
Naruto nodded, he wanted to check out that caped crusader... Batman was it? He seemed like something that could provide some entertainment for awhile, maybe he'd even check out some of the 'Villains' in Gotham as well. Ra's had quite a few files on the various criminals in the city, a deranged clown named Joker, the clowns former partner Harley, a bioterrorist that called herself Poison Ivy, a Riddle obsessed man who called himself the Riddler... the list went on.
"Must you go?"
Talia's voice broke him out of his thoughts as they returned to the surface and prepared a chopper for him to leave and return to the airport. Turning to look at her, he saw that she had a small, disappointed frown on her face at the thought of him leaving.
"I have never been one for desert... the sand has always been the domain of my lower ranked sibling and I'm all for keeping it that way." he mused before gazing deep into her blue-green eyes, "But I must admit... there is one thing I shall miss."
The chopper started up, blowing sand around with the downdraft and blinding a few of Ra's Al Ghul's people who had been standing too close.
"Sir!" one of the servants called to the blonde, "It's time to go!"
Naruto nodded and bid farewell to the woman, walking to the chopper and boarding it moments before it got airborne and started to the airport where the jet would be waiting.
Talia sighed and just watched the helicopter fly off into the distance, "Goodbye... my beloved,"
To be continued...
-X-
Sorry for the chapter being so short.