I'm back with a new chapter, I hope you guys will enjoy it.
Oh God it's so good to be back. I missed this so much*runs to the community* Ahhhh it's all over, exams and final year project is over.
Please enjoy this new chapter and please review. Also have a listen to the Naruto Shippuden OST, Taiji while reading :)
Chapter 9: The Enemy Below, Taiji
Uchiha Itachi was back in the Watchtower, sitting on the bridge level reading the dictionary Superman had gotten for him, Itachi was trying to better his English.
He was wearing the red t-shirt, black hoodie, sneakers that was given to him, along with his grey pants. The sound of beeping and the Watchtower raising a notification got Itachi out of his reading. He got up and quickly got to the terminal and control panels. The doors behind him opened and in came Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern.
"Itachi? What is it?" Superman asked as he flew towards him to help out in the panels, along with Diana and Lantern.
"Looks like radio call?" Itachi said, unsure of what to do at the terminal.
"Here let me." Superman said, Itachi stepped aside and let the Man of Steel to respond to deal with the control panels.
"It's from a nuclear sub. It's under attack." Green Lantern said. "We have to go."
"Sub?" Itachi asked.
"Submarine. Deep in the oceans." Green Lantern explained.
"I'm betting Aquaman may have something to do with this if it is that deep underwater." Superman added.
"Aquaman?" Combating deep underwater was not something that Itachi has done before, nor was he sure if whatever he had at his disposal was able to do much good in water.
"Maybe I stay here. I will let you know if something else happens." Itachi suggested.
"Alright, we can handle things from here. Keep us informed Itachi." Wonder Woman said.
"Mm. Good Luck." Itachi nodded and then the other three league headed for the Javelin, leaving the Uchiha back on the bridge. Soon after Itachi watched the Javelin leaving the Watchtower heading down to Earth.
"Aquaman huh?" Itachi tried to search up the name with the terminal in the Watchtower, all the information about this 'Aquaman' was brought up on screen, with information provided by Superman and Batman.
"Arthur Curry. King of Atlantis?" Itachi raised an eyebrow as he continued reading. "Atlantis. A city deep in the Atlantic Ocean, with its people the powerful, water breathing Atlanteans."
Amegakure and Kirigakure may be villages in rain and mist, but a city deep in the ocean with its people being able to literally breathe under water, this just made this whole world much bigger now for Itachi.
After some time, the Uchiha left the bridge level and headed to the lower levels, to his room which was built for him specifically, since he could not really stay in Clark Kent's apartment forever. But he would really need to find some sort of accommodation on Earth soon, and some form of way to earn money.
Taking off his sandals he stepped into his room, which had a bed by the window showing the Earth, along with a mirror, a closet for his other clothes, and a bathroom.
He made his way to the mirror, staring at himself. Being alone in the Watchtower, he felt a little more comfortable now, but then his mind wandered to dark pasts.
He brought his hands to a Ram seal.
Henge
With a puff of smoke, he transformed into his younger brother. Uchiha Sasuke, in his attire which he last saw him, and his frown. All he can do right now is place his trust in Uzumaki Naruto now concerning his brother.
With his hands in a Ram seal, he transformed into another Uchiha. His good friend, Uchiha Shisui. He told Itachi to protect the Uchiha name. And how he did it, his mind drifted back to that horrid night, he did not want to think how Shisui would react to it. But now he was upholding the Uchiha name on this Earth, by protecting the people of this Earth, not just one village, but a whole world along with other exceptional people of this world, the Justice League.
He got his hands in a Ram seal and transformed, into Uchiha Izumi. He gave her the life she wanted with him, through Tsukuyomi. In which it killed her. It was the future she wanted…but now he wondered, was it the life he wanted? After all these years?
It would not mattered either way now, it was something that could not be. Todokanai Koi.
He transformed again, this time the once head of the Uchiha clan, his father. Uchiha Fugaku. He stared at his father in the mirror, having his stoic face as usual. He transformed formed again, now it was a woman in a brown dress with a beige apron. His mother, Uchiha Mikoto.
Itachi took a good look at his mother, his mind went to the night when his parents died, by his own hands. There was never a proper time for him to mourn in his past life, he wondered if he ever deserved to now.
The notification alarm sounded off again, Mikoto puffed into smoke transforming back into Itachi. Putting his sandals on, he rushed back to the bridge, to the terminal.
"Itachi. Itachi?" He heard Superman's voice through the com. "You hearing me Itachi?"
"Superman." Itachi responded. "I'm here."
"Anything happened while we're gone?" Superman asked.
"No, nothing." Itachi answered.
"Great. Itachi, we're in the Javelin closing in on the Watchtower, we're opening the hanger bay." Wonder Woman's voice came into the com.
"Hai." Itachi answered and waited for them to come up soon. After about a minute or so, the doors behind him. He turned to see the three league members coming back from their mission.
"Okaeri." Itachi greeted them.
Wonder Woman and Green Lantern flew in to join Itachi, but Superman hanged back, and he was on the phone talking to an Admiral.
"What happened?" Itachi asked.
"A nuclear sub got hit by Atlantean army, apparently for getting too close to Atlantis." Green Lantern explained, his face clearly showed he did not like the encounter. Wonder Woman then added. "We got the crew out but the vessel still remained there."
"Yeah, along the nuclear weapons in there." Green Lantern said.
"I understand your concerns Admiral." They heard Superman talking on the phone. "But there were lives at stake and there was nothing that we could do."
"We never should have left the sub down there." Green Lantern crossed his arms. "Now it's in the hands of a mad man."
"Aquaman's no mad man. He's a king." Diana argued. "He only wants to preserve and protect his own kind."
"So who's going to protect us from him?" Green Lantern gave the last piece of words before walking away, leaving Itachi and Diana.
Now Green Lantern has left the Watchtower, Wonder Woman asked Itachi. "What you think he is going to do?"
"He's probably going to see if the Atlanteans did anything to the submarine." Superman answered for Itachi as he flew to stand with them.
"That's only going to aggravate Aquaman." Wonder Woman said. "Should we go after him? Or at least go with him?"
"No." A voice got their attention and they turned to see Batman coming up to them. "Let's see if he can get any information out of his search." Batman said. "It would settle a question I have in mind."
"Batman? When did you get here?" Wonder Woman asked, a little surprised he came out of nowhere.
"Moments ago. Saw John leaving on the way." Batman stated.
And there they stood together, gazing at the Earth. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Itachi.
"You think Aquaman's going to negotiate for peace at the World Assembly like I've advised him to?" Superman asked them.
"If he does, it most likely won't be a fruitful negotiation, considering what he would ask." Batman gave the blunt answer.
"And then, distrust grow." Itachi said, "This…nuclear weapons sound important."
"It is, they are very dangerous in the wrong hands, catastrophic. That itself would put Aquaman in a bad position among the world leaders since he's not going to let anyone near it." Batman told Itachi.
This information, about nuclear weapons, distrust among different people, it reminded Itachi a bit when there was distrust between Uchiha and Konoha because of the Kyuubi.
"We just have make sure that both sides won't blow up badly." Superman sighed.
"Things used to be so much simpler back home." Wonder Woman said. "Now in times like these, you see there's so much sitting on the world's shoulders."
Time passed on, Itachi had changed back into his Edo tensei robes, sandals and grey t-shirt. Green Lantern had returned. And he looked ticked. "I knew we couldn't trust that fish man! The sub's been stripped and the plutonium is gone!" He said marching up to Wonder Woman and Itachi.
"And you think Aquaman's responsible?" Diana asked.
"Who else princess? We got to go back to Atlantis and get some straight answers." Green Lantern said sternly.
"If its Aquaman you want he's not in Atlantis." Superman said as he was watching a screen on the window showing the live news regarding Aquaman in the World Assembly.
"Well this is getting better." Green Lantern sarcastically said.
"We have to move now." Superman said and everyone headed for the Javelin, except for the Dark Knight.
The journey to Metropolis was a quick one, Itachi got off the Javelin and followed Superman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman into the building. The sound of arguing and upset leaders could be heard through the doors. Superman was the first to open the door and flew into the auditorium with the rest following. Itachi saw Aquaman for the first time in person.
"I offered them a choice for peace and this is their answer." Aquaman said, clearly not budging in what the world leaders want out of him.
"Please, these things takes time." Superman pleaded.
"I've wasted too much time." Aquaman walked away, not listening to Superman. "Wait." Wonder Woman stepped in front of him. The Atlantean stared at her for a moment, before pushing her to side. Wonder Woman stumbled into Itachi, with hooded Uchiha caught her safely to prevent her falling. Aquaman had already left the auditorium.
"Real charmer." Green Lantern remarked.
"His pride won't win him anything." Itachi said. Now the Uchiha was standing in front of the world leaders with the league members. It was no Kage Summit, but just the number of people, each representing so many countries was quite something for him.
"Now what we do?" Itachi asked his comrades.
Green Lantern said, "There's still the plutoni-" The sound of an explosion outside ceased everyone in their tracks. The Justice League rushed outside of the building, to see Aquaman brutalised and incapacitated on the ground. With thick black smoke billowing up above, debris scattered with fire.
"No." Superman said with despair. Itachi immediately turned his Sharingan on, scanning the group of people for anyone looking suspicious, then the surrounding buildings. But he could not anything questionable. His eyed narrowed.
"Uchiha, come on lets go." Green Lantern commanded him. Superman carried Aquaman, and flew to the medical centre with Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. Focusing the chakra on his feet, Itachi leapt up high sticking onto a building, and ran up onto the roof. Now he was leaping across the rooftops, keeping with the other league members.
Soon Itachi was in Metropolis medical centre, with Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern waiting and watching the doctors trying to fix up Aquaman who was laying on a hospital bed. Soon one of the doctors removed his gloves and went to the exit give the news to the League.
"How bad is it?" Wonder Woman asked.
"Hard to tell, his physiology is not like a human. Unlike anything I've ever seen." The doctor explained.
"But can you fix him?" Superman urged.
"I don't know." The doctor gave his honest answer.
"Then maybe I can." Batman's voice was heard in the doorway, the Dark Knight appeared out of the shadows.
Itachi watched as the doctors and Superman brought to a hospital ward, which had a large cylinder containing water with Batman waiting there. One would have to wonder where he'd get this stuff and how he got it here. Superman carried the Atlantean and placed him into the tank, soon his vitals were stabilising.
"Maintain saline at 3.5%." Batman instructed the doctors.
"How could you possibly guessed that?" The doctor asked, impressed by Batman's aid.
"He's a fish out of water, saltwater." Batman explained.
"(Whoever tried to attack him, may try again. And we're in a bad position in this hospital, in the middle of a crowd.)" Itachi walked up to Batman and said.
"(I have a plan. And we're going to need everyone's help, including yours.)" Batman responded.
After a short while, Aquaman was coming around. Green Lantern took the initiative, knocking on the water tank. "What did you do with the plutonium?!" He demanded for answers.
"The plutonium?" Aquaman said and leapt out of the tank.
"The sub's weapons are all gone."
"My orders were to leave the vessel alone." The King of Atlantis said.
"You expect us to believe that?" Lantern questioned him.
"Believe what you will. Someone tried to kill me and I have to find out who and return to my kingdom." Aquaman brushed him off and he was about to head for the exit.
"Arthur, wait." Batman called him by his name. "I can help. But you're going to have to trust me."
Night has fallen and everyone was in position. Batman and Superman were surveying the medical centre from one rooftop, Wonder Woman and Itachi on another rooftop. The whole paparazzi went crazy as Aquaman on a stretcher as brought out of the medical centre.
Itachi with his Sharingan scanned the street. Careful for anyone with any degree of suspicion. And there, someone hiding behind a mail box. A male in a cap, thick jacket and pants, he had some weapon of sort Itachi could not identify.
"Look over there." Itachi said to Diana and pointed at the man. Wonder Woman saw him and quickly alerted the others.
"There!" Wonder Woman called out through her communicator.
"I see him. It's Deadshot." Batman got a batarang and threw it at the assassin. The batarang knocked the RPG off Deadshot's shoulder in which fired a rocket up into the sky.
The whole crowd scattered in panic, Aquaman on the stretcher, or rather Itachi's clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. The real Aquaman was still in the medical centre with Green Lantern watching over him.
Deadshot kicked off into a run into an alley, Superman flew and gave chase, and Batman stretched his cape like wings and glided to keep up with Superman. They both got to the alley which had a manhole cover, Itachi and Wonder Woman joined them. Superman placed his hands on it to remove it, but all he got was a terrible electrical shock.
Grunting in pain, the Man of Steel stumbled back, quickly recovering Superman's eyes glowed red and used his heat vision on the circumference of the manhole cover, causing it to drop down into the sewer and opening a path.
Superman flew in with Itachi and Wonder Woman following, but Batman still on the alley pressed a button on his gauntlet, calling something to even the odds.
In the sewers Deadshot got on his motorbike and sped off, with Superman, Wonder Woman and Itachi chasing. With Superman and Wonder Woman leading the chase, Itachi with his own two feet was keeping up with the two flyers as much as he can in the enclosed environment. Seeing the motorbike with Deadshot on it, Itachi went through his hand seals.
Katon: Housenka No Jutsu
Bolts of fire were sent out from Itachi to and smashed all over Deadshot's path, attempting to scare him and throw him off his balance. Deadshot pointed his arm back at the League members, the customized gun mounted on his arm. Itachi, not familiar with a gun had no clue what has on Deadshot's arm.
There were loud sounds of banging from Deadshot's arm. Deadshot fired his gun at the league, Superman had no trouble being the Man of Steel, Wonder Woman using her bracelets to block off the bullets.
With the Sharingan, Itachi could barely see the shower of bullets moving through the air, twisting his body in the air as much as he can to dodge the bullets. Itachi knew nothing about bullets, but it's obvious to him that he should not get hit by them. He dodged the bullets by the skin of his teeth. The shots deflected by Superman and Wonder Woman were a grave problem, no one was considering a ricochet grazing Itachi's thigh.
Itachi instantly felt the pain in his thigh, he grunted in pain and fell. "Itachi!" Superman and Wonder Woman saw what happened and stopped to help the Uchiha. Deadshot continued to flee from them.
Itachi quickly got on his feet, seeing the bleeding wound on his thigh. "I ok Superman, Diana. Just go, go." Itachi told them and carried on, ignoring the wound. "Just what kind of tool is he using?"
Deadshot was out of the sewer and was at a canal where a van was waiting for him, abandoning his motorbike, he got into the van and drove off confident that injuring one of the members might lose them.
Driving down the canal, Deadshot's confidence was short lived. A large black vehicle appeared behind him, chasing the assassin down. The Batmobile.
Batman used the cannons in the Batmobile, firing off rounds the van's wheel exploded. The van tumbled to a halt. Batman got out of his vehicle, walking to the van he pulled Deadshot out, removing him of any weapons on him.
"It's over Floyd." Batman said without room for question.
"Ok, ok I give up." Deadshot surrendered.
The others joined, clearly unhappy with Deadshot after Itachi got hit. Superman grabbed Deadshot and held him up by his neck.
"You tried to kill Aquaman. Why?" Superman demanded answers.
"Gee, why would a hired gun tried to shoot somebody? Could it be that someone paid him to?" Deadshot was not impressed with Superman being the Boy Scout.
"Who?" Wonder Woman asked, with Itachi and Batman behind her.
"Aw come on babe you know I can't tell you that, professional ethics." Deadshot said. "But then again, if you make it worth my while."
Itachi with his Sharingan flaring in the night was about to put him in Genjutsu, but Batman simply grabbed Deadshot by the shoulder and dragged him away from the team. With his back facing the team, Batman gave Deadshot one word of advice, Itachi was not really bothered in listening.
"Ok, I'll tell I'll tell." Deadshot gave in.
"What did he say?" Diana asked Superman.
"You don't want to know." He replied.
Batman and Deadshot returned to them. The truth came out from him, "I don't know. I don't ask questions."
"Not good enough. How were you paid?" Batman stepped up.
"In gold." Deadshot turned his head to a box of spilled gold from the van. "See?"
Batman inspected a coin from the box. "Spanish doubloons."
"Where can someone get coins like this?" Wonder Woman asked the team.
"Atlantis." Superman said. "We've got to warn Aquaman."
"Too late." Green Lantern from above came down and said. "That royal pain in the neck is already gone. I couldn't stop him."
"Hera help him." Wonder Woman added.
Itachi turned off his Sharingan and said. "If Aquaman is caught in Atlantis, whoever is behind this will know we are coming."
Now people are noticing the blood on his thigh. "Itachi you're hit." Green Lantern was genuinely concerned.
"I'm ok." Itachi assured him. Batman's eyes narrowed seeing the bleeding wound on Itachi's thigh.
Batman and Superman then laid out a plan. "Itachi you're with me. We're putting Deadshot in police custody." Batman said.
"The rest of us will try to get into Atlantis and help Aquaman." Superman said.
Yes, Itachi's getting a taste of what a bullet feels like, especially in such an enclosed area when they are people with bullet bouncing off them.
Hope you've enjoyed this chapter, hope to see you in the next one.