A/N: And so, another chapter! Yay~ I hope you like how this one came out since I'm 'so-so' about it. Out of complete curiosity, since I'm seeing a lot of reviews and PM's about it, who do you all think "Feathers" is? I'll write a special little...what is it called... Omake?...a little extra at the end? For them specifically to the person who guesses correctly first! Be it through PM's or reviews. Heck, I'll write you a whole chapter, be it complete and total crack just for $hits and giggles, or something serious that can be completely integrated into the actual story. Because~ once someone figures it out, I'll reveal who it is! And if no one guesses of figures it out then I'll reveal it in about two chapters. Other than that, enjoy this chapter!

Key:

"Regular talking"
"Communicator speech"
"Flashback"
'Thoughts'
"Megan's telepathic conversations"
"Kyuubi"
"Automated speech."

Chapter 10: Denial

WATCHTOWER: ARCHIVES
August 15 05:22 EDT

Naruto typed furiously into the keyboard that was connected to the archives in the Watchtower, trying to find anything that would give him a lead on who the 'mole' on his Team could possibly be. The sheer thought of a traitor was enough to send him into a rage had he not been so trained to keep his emotions in check. From day one, he had stressed the importance of teamwork, and trust. This was just too much...if it were willingly.

There was that chance that the 'mole' was feeding the Light information without knowing, or through blackmail. Both possibilities were as likely as the former of doing so willingly, and Naruto found himself hoping that whoever this 'mole' was, was not a willing traitor.

Scowling underneath his half-mask, Naruto watched a few videos, trying to discern noticeable changes in personality, or the like that would be a possible sign for what he was looking for. It had been a few hours, and without finding anything, Naruto grudgingly turned off the holographic screen and turned around to leave, just in time to see his favorite Leaguer walk in: Batman.

Sighing internally, Naruto said, "Batman, what a surprise." sounding completely unsurprised by his being there just as he was about to leave.

"Naruto." Batman said walking in and having the Archive door slide shut behind him. "I think it's about time you and I talked...honestly."

With a bland gaze, Naruto replied, "I'm assuming you mean to speak of the fact that, one: my name doesn't come up with anything in all of the League Chartered Countries. Two: the fact that the energy I create inside me is something never before seen, and completely unknown to you and the rest of the world, except that it's similar to the destructive force of anti-matter when completely raw and uncontrolled. And three: why I didn't heal properly as I usually do after taking Amazo's 'rasengan' through my chest as I had earlier that day, correct?"

A slight scowl on his face, Batman nodded and said with a demanding tone, "Explain."

With a small huff of breath, Naruto said, thoroughly annoyed, "And just why do you think I'll answer? Getting tired of trying to figure it out yourself?" Ignoring Batman's deeper frown, he continued, "It must burn you, to have all of the evidence in front of you...nearly all the information you sought after for two years right there, and have more questions than answers than when you started." With a growl of his own, Naruto said, "I don't have to explain anything to you, Mr. Wayne. I'm sure you've at least thought there was a reason I've kept everything secret about me. Why I never instigated any sort of friendship or conversation for the first year I was on the League. The relationships I have now with the League are only because people like Canary are too stubborn to give up until I begin to truly care about them. Use that detective mind of yours and keep searching, because I sure as hell ain't gonna tell you jack."

Staring at him with dangerously narrowed eyes, and a deep scowl, Batman exclaimed, "Enough of this! You are a threat to this League. Ever since you first were indited into this Team, you've been nothing more than a stranger to the majority. Considering you have ties with not only Jade Nguyen, AKA Cheshire, a known Shadow, but past history with notable criminals, gives me more than enough reason to be suspicious about you. The fact that you've never so much as told us your name until now, is enough reason to put you in that cell and interrogate everything out of you. I will not stand for this League to be pulled to the ground because of some kid managed to sneak his way into the League."

Naruto was more than incensed by the end of Batman's little tirade, and finally cracked. "Oh, I'm the threat to the League? At least I don't hide the fact that I have relations with Cheshire- the whole damn League knows! The moment I came on, I know they looked up who the hell I was in the world to be asked to join. They know that I worked as a solo vigilante across the globe, they know that I have spent time with Cheshire because she's the only one out there who is nearly equal to my hand-to-hand combat other than Canary. But do they know about you and little Miss Kitty Cat?" he asked with narrowed eyes, watching in satisfaction as Batman's own widened slightly, "No, of course they don't. No one knows that you've been...what was it? Have ties with the criminal thief. They don't know that the epitome of Justice, THE Batman, has allowed a dangerous and highly notorious criminal to walk free on more than one occasion. After all, why would Batman do such a thing?"

Pushing past Batman, Naruto looked over his shoulder and said, "Just because I feel like it, My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Keep digging, Batman. I'm sure one day you'll learn to look underneath the underneath."

"Think that was smart, Kit?"Kurama asked once they were a fair ways away from the Archives.

'It doesn't matter. He needs to figure it out on his own, or else he'll never see the truth, even if I tell him straight up like he asked."

"The Bat's going to go nuts once he figures everything out."

'The whole League will." Naruto admitted, 'I just hope they forgive me at the end of it all.'

MOUNT JUSTICE
August 19 19:39 EDT

Once he was at the Cave once more, Naruto typed with quick fingers on the holographic keyboard, pulling out as much information about Kent Nelson before the Team arrived. He had planned on giving this mission to the Team a week ago, but work with the League and his 'shadow' group had delayed him. He hoped that this didn't cause any horrible consequences, and prayed to Kami that the Team would find Nelson and the Helmet unharmed and untouched.

Kent Nelson was more than just an old man who was once a major member of the Justice Society. He was a close and dear friend, a man who had managed to become an important and precious person to Naruto unknowingly. He had been in a henge when he had met the Dr on one of his walk abouts, the man enjoying the sea side while holding onto his precious pocket watch with his wife's picture inside. They had shared a cab and he began to talk to him, noticing the haunted look in his eyes apparently.

It wasn't an easy friendship at first, as he didn't want to create any sort of attachments when he was adamantly trying to figure a way back home. But the man, so wise and kind managed to get him to tell him everything. Tell him his name, reveal his face, and where he was originally from. When Kent revealed he was Dr. Fate, Naruto thought he had discovered his way home, but was told, gently, that not even Dr. Fate knew of a way into his home dimension.

Even so, the man had become his ji-san, a grandfather figure in this world, and his first true friend.

He truly hoped that the man was alright, wherever he was being held.

As soon as he had the various screens of information up, the Team walked into the Observation Deck and waited patiently for him to give them their mission just after a short training session they initiated on their own. For the most part, Naruto was utterly proud of how much they had improved, both as individuals, and as a Team, but the knowledge of a 'mole' was utterly trust-shattering. Given the situation, the most likely suspects were either Superboy or Artemis, having been a Cadmus Labs experiment and the daughter of both Huntress and Sportsmaster respectively. He didn't want to believe that Superboy was the 'traitor', and if he was, he hoped it wasn't under his volition. He also hoped that Artemis' reasons for joining were sincere: to get away from the crime and her father. For now, he had to sit idly by and wait how it played out, given that Cheshire was the only one close enough to the Light to figure out who the 'mole' was.

The knowledge of the mole, however, would continue to be only his own. Telling the Team that there was a traitor in their midst would destroy the teamwork dynamics they had accomplished over the past month and a half. Even divulging only Kaldur with this would be detrimental, and with the Team needed so much, he couldn't allow them to know. Nor could he allow anyone else know; not even Canary or Red Tornado.

He had to remain silent...

For now.

"What do you have for us, Fishcake?" Robin asked with a smirk. Naruto groaned outwardly, his hand already rubbing his forehead tiredly as he had to hear the teen snub his name, again. He knew that telling everyone his name would have someone call him that, simply because they would enjoy the rise it got out of him, but he really was annoyed that it was Robin of all people. He had to see the kid nearly everyday for more than a few hours, and once the teen noticed he was visibly annoyed with the nickname, the brat wouldn't stop calling him that.

He doubted he ever would.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto pointed to the monitors and said, ignoring the nickname for the time being, "This," he said motioning to an elderly man holding onto a gold handled cane, "is Kent Nelson, a friend. He's just passed his 106th birthday." His ear picked up the hushed whispered voice of Wally as the red-headed teen said,

"Guy doesn't look a day over 90."

Ignoring Kid, Naruto continued in a more serious tone, "He has been missing for twenty three days. For those of you who don't know, Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society, the precursor to your mentors of the Justice League."

"Of course!" Kaldur exclaimed staring at Kent Nelson's photo that shifted to his better known uniform, "Nelson was Earth's sorcerer Supreme. He was Dr. Fate!"

Again, Naruto heard Wally comment, and it seemed the boy didn't believe in magic. He could understand why, given he was so enamored in everything technological and even remotely science-y. It was the reason he even had his speed. Though after everything he had lived through, denying something so large as Magic in this world was blinding him to see with only one eye. Either way, there was nothing he could do to convince the boy otherwise. His beliefs were his own.

"Some of the Justice League believe he may be on one of his...walk abouts, but I believe different. As caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's mystic might, and his given age, Nelson may have been kidnapped in order to use him as a means to take the Helmet.

"He is like the great sorcerer Priests and Priestesses of Mars!" Megan exclaimed, "I would be honored to help find him."

Naruto rolled his eyes when Wally raised his hand immediately and said, "Me too! Soooo honored, I can barely stand it. Magic, rocks." He could see that both Robin and Artemis didn't believe him in the slightest just as he didn't.

Before the blonde Leaguer could continue, Batman came up on screen and said, "Robin, Zeta back to the bat-cave, I require your presence." and his screen left soon after saying nothing more to the Team.

Robin sighed and said, "Well, I'm off, good luck finding Kent guys!" before running to the Zeta-tube and being engulfed with it's light, disappearing from the Team's sight.

"Well," Naruto said rubbing the back of his neck, "while they're out doing the dynamic duo thing, I want you guys to take this," he handed Kaldur a golden key with an inscription on it's side, "it is the key to enter the Tower of Fate."

"Where is the Tower located?" Kaldur asked curiously.

Naruto smirked, "I'll send you the coordinates, I find the location rather ironic in a way. But, to get inside, it is a test of faith."

SALEM
August 19 20:22 EDT

"We've reached Shadow's coordinates," Megan started, "but-"

"Nothing's there." Conner said staring at the empty space before them.

"Miss M, take us down." Kaldur said wanting a closer look.

Once they were out of the BioShip, Wally made a quick perimeter sweep and came back to report, "This isn't simple camouflage."

"So, what do you think?" Artemis prompted, "Adaptive micro-optive electronics combined with face-shifting?"

Wally had a rather impressed expression when he said, "Absolutely!-...not! Clearly the mystic powers are at work here!" Artemis rolled and narrowed her eyes at Kid, changing his tune just to impress Megan, or have something in common with her was starting to grate on her nerves.

"A test of faith..." Kaldur murmured as he stared at the inscription of 'insert' on the side of the key. "Stand behind me." The Atlantean walked in front of his teammates and used the key as one normally would, though against an unseen door. Just as he turned it clockwise, a tall stone tower came to view, as though unveiled leaving the entire team awe-struck for a few moments before entering the Tower of Fate.

Once they were inside, the door closed behind them and disappeared all together.

"Uhhh," Superboy began, "where did the door go?"

Before anyone could reply, a holographic-esque image of Kent came to view in front of them.

"Greeting," it said, "You have entered with a key, but the Tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."

Wally, wanting to impress Megan was about to talk before Kaldur placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it just tightly enough for him to hold his tongue.

Wally raised an eyebrow at his friend before Naruto's parting words came into his mind,

"Also," he had said, "be sure to be honest when you get inside. The Tower...you could consider it alive in a way. It will protect itself against those who mean it harm, or those who do not reveal their reasons for being there. So, do try not to be flayed by it, that's probably the lamest way to go. " his aggravating eye smile on full blast as he told them.

"Fire Shadow sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet were safe." Kaldur answers the image.

The holographic-Nelson gives a combination of a smile and a smirk before disappearing, the floor beneath the team disappating beneath them so quickly, none could grab on the the edge in time before falling through to the bottom, landing in a snowy tundra.

"What the heck?" Artemis said as she lifted snow in her palm, realizing it was very real.

"Mystical powers!" Wally said with a half-laugh, "Cool."

Annoyed, Artemis snapped, "Enough! You're little, "impress Megan at all cost" game is starting to get on my last nerve. You're not a "true believer"! If you were, you wouldn't have said all those things back at the Cave before Megan said she would be honored to find Kent!"

Megan looked at Wally and said, "You truly don't believe?"

Feeling as though he couldn't deny it any longer, he said, "Fine, fine! I lied about believing in Magic. But magic is the real lie! A major load!"

"Wally." Kaldur said gently, his hand touching the snow, "this is real. I also studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin I use to power my water-bearers."

"Dude, you ever hear of bio-electricity?" Kid replied as though it were the most obvious thing, "Hey, in primitive cultures, fire was once considered magical too. Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks."

"Then how do you explain from coming from an interior of a mansion into a snowy tundra?" Artemis asked smugly. "Well?"

Wally wasn't giving in and said, "Ever hear of string theory? We're in a pocket dimension."

"You're pretty closed minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers." she said thoroughly annoyed.

"That's science" Wally exclaimed, "I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am. Everything can be explained with science."

All of them, deciding to let it go, turned around and Megan spotted the cane Kent Nelson carried in his picture.

"Is that Nelson's cane?" she asked.

"Oooh, maybe it's Nelson's magic wand." Wally drawled sarcastically before rushing to grab it just as Artemis did.

"I got it." they said in unison, "Gah, I can't let go!"

Together, they were dragged upwards and disappeared in a golden light.

"Uh, we keep walking forward?" Conner said unsure of what to do.

"It would be best, I am sure there would be another exit close by, and perhaps we will find them once we are out of this area." Kaldur said walking forward, both Megan and Superboy following.

Just as Artemis and Wally reappeared on the flat area of a set of stairs in a room filled with them, all leading in different directions, Wally noticed a trio above them, one right away.

"Abra Kadabra." he said standing up.

"Well, would you look at that?" An elderly man said, soon engulfed with a golden light that matched the cane's, his entire body rising and floating toward the two teens. Just as he grasped the cane, the ropes that were wrapped around his wrists evaporated. "In here!" he said to the two teens, using his cane to create an elevator before them.

"No, no no!" a deathly pale, black haired kid began to whine. "I want that helmet! I want it! I want it! I WANT IT!" with his hand out before him, red energy began to ball up before being sent to the trio that stood inside the elevator, the door closing just as the twin streams of red energy slammed into them.

Inside the elevator, the elderly man finally said, "I'm Kent Nelson, by the way."

Wally rolled his eyes and said, "No duh." being immediately elbowed in the side by Artemis. "Ow!"

"I'm Artemis," she introduced, "Ms. Manners here, is Wally."

"Well Artemis," Kent began, "We're up against an opponent with tremendous mystic power."

"Abra Kadabra?" Wally asked with a raised eyebrow, "Tch, guy uses advance technology to simulate magic. Guys all show and no biz."

"Right you are!" Kent agreed, Wally immediately taking on a smug expression.

"He is!?" Artemis asked curiously.

"Abra is a charleton, but Klarion the Witchboy, the kid with the cat, is an actual Lord of Chaos. The ultimate enemy of a Lord of Order like Dr. Fate."

"Right~" Wally drawled sarcastically, "you're a Lord of Order."

"Oh no, not me." Kent admitted, "I'm just an old coat Fate used to put on. At least before my wife Inza convinced me there could be more to life. Ah," he said looking lovingly at a picture in a pocket watch, "she was a real pistol, my Inza. Any who, Klarion's after the Helmet. If he gets his sticky little mitts on it, he'll turn the whole world into his little playground of pandemonium. I'm sure that Shadow of yours would have said something about it's power."

"Wait, Shadow?" Wally asked, "You know Na-uh, Fire Shadow?"

"Ah, so he's finally revealed his name!" Kent said with a wide smile. "And yes, I know Naruto, we met not long after he first began his hero work. A real fighter, that kid. Done many great things in his life."

"Woah, you know about his past!?"

"Indeed." Kent nodded lightly, "Great boy, and a greater friend." Before he could comment any further, the elevator door opened and revealed a short stairway to a large golden bell. The trio walked up toward it, but not before another trio came falling through a hole above them, revealing Superboy, Aqualad and Miss M.

"Friends of yours?" Kent asked Wally lightly before both having to duck from an attack by Abra Kadabra.

"Friends of yours?" Wally asked rushed as they dodged his attacks. The Team immediately went on the defensive, giving Wally and Kent enough time to get the Helmet.

Kent walked up to the bell and rang it with the head of his cane, causing the bell to be engulfed with the same golden light as his cane before walking through it as though it were an open doorway with Wally by his side. Both finding themselves on the roof of the Tower. Just as Kent went to reach the helmet, a spear of red energy struck him in the heart, the old man barely having enough energy to cast an extremely strong shield around them before Klarion who had followed them managed to attack again.

NOOOOOO!"Klarion screamed incensed.

"Not bad...for Dr. Fake...eh, kid?" Kent wheezed out, Wally having to support him as he fell to the floor. "The bubble... will give you just enough time t-to do...what you need...to do..."

"I have no idea what I need to do!" Wally exclaimed, looking at Nelson fearfully.

"Have faith...do what...you can't explain...believe...in what you can no longer...deny..."

And just like that, Kent Nelson was gone. No amount of Wally's attempt at CPR would work to revive him. Wally could hear Megan's pleas for Dr. Fate just before the telepathic communication was shut off from her pain.

He looked at the helmet that floated above him.

"A test of faith..." he said as he looked down sadly at the elderly man. Standing up, he grabbed the helmet just as Klarion used his powers to create giant red claws of pure energy to rip the shield.

"Hey dumb kid!" the witchboy said, "You put that thing on you may never get it off!"

Just as the shield was destroyed, and a huge flame came toward him, Wally put the helmet over his head, finding a world of darkness rather than pain.

Opening his eyes, he saw he was in a dark room, lit only by one light above him.

"Okay, okay, okay..." he said to himself in a panicky voice, "I'm not here, I'm dreaming!"

"Still don't believe?" said a familiar elderly voice. Turning around, Wally saw a living Kent Nelson. "Honestly kid," Nelson continued, "how did you become so bull headed in fifteen short years?"

"But, bu-but you're...you're..." Wally stuttered taking a few steps away from the man.

"Yup." Kent said firmly, "but don't feel bad. Soon as this little brouhaha is over my spirit will ascend, and I'll finally be reunited with my beloved Inza."

"O-ooh? Okay..." Kid said softly before he became panicked again, "Wait! Does that mean I'm-!?"

"Ahh, your alive." Kent reassured the teen, "But your soul no longer controls your body. See, we're inside the helmet." he explained, "You put it on, and my soul got sucked in. Probably because I spent so many years serving it's master."

"Master?"

"Nabu. The real Dr. Fate. One of them Lords of Order I told you about. He's the guy controlling your body now. Want to watch?"

As though they were watching through a window, the two saw as Nabu took Wally's body and used it as his own, even their own voices sounding as though they spoke in unison.

It was only when Klarion finally got a clean hit that Kent informed Kid that even though Nabu was in control of his body, it was still his body, and whatever damage was dealt to it, was dealt to his soul. Every attack, punch, kick, and throw, Wally would feel.

When he was told that should Nabu lose...Wally was less inclined to believe putting the Helmet on was a good idea.

Thankfully, Nabu was able to defeat Klarion by ridding him of his Familiar, his anchor to the physical plane, and just when he was waiting for Nabu to take off the Helmet, he appeared before the two and said he wouldn't.

"He can't do that!" Kid exclaimed, "Can he do that?" he asked Kent beside him.

"Can, but shouldn't." Kent said before addressing Nabu, "This is not the right candidate, the kid's soul belongs to the world of science, not sorcery."

"True." Nabu admitted, "But I do not appreciate being permanently hidden away. Useless and isolated...for decades at a time. Chaos must not be allowed to reign!"

"That won't happen again." Kent said firmly to the Lord of order, "The boy will see to it that you'll be put to good use."

"Yeah!" Wally agreed vehemently, "I swear."

"But in the meantime, I'll stick around. Keep you company."

"Wait!" Wally protested. "What happened to ascending? Reuniting with Inza?"

"So now you believe?" Nelson said with a small smirk, "Don't sweat it kid. I'll spend a few millenia here and then see my Inza. That's the great thing about eternity...it's eternal."

"The bargain is acceptable." Nabu stated finally.

"Some free advice before you leave kid." Kent said looking at Wally's bright green eyes, "Take care of that Supervisor of yours. He's strong, but even the greatest of knights have chips in their armor. Also, find your own little spit-fire, one that won't let you get away with nothing. Like that-"

Before Kent could finish his sentence, Nabu lifted the helmet over his head and he regained control of his body. He stared down at the soulless body of Kent Nelson sadly, clasping his hands tightly around the pocket watch he held so dearly before telepathically communicating with Megan about what happened to him and that they should go home.

He needed some alone time after this.

MOUNT JUSTICE
August 20 01:13

"Good, you are all back!" Naruto said to the Team happy, though he was expecting to see a familiar elderly man walking alongside them with the aid of his cane. He felt his eyes narrow slightly at the absence of the man he had called ji-san for a year and a half.

"Report." he commanded the Team, said Team slightly flinching at the tone of voice of their Head Supervisor.

"We arrived at the Tower of Fate where we learned that Abra Kadabra and Klarion the Witchboy abducted Kent Nelson in hopes of gaining entry to the Tower and the means to retrieve the Helmet." Kaldur began, "Kid and Artemis were able to momentarily rescue him from his captors, but as Kid and he made their way to retrieve the Helmet, Kent Nelson was struck by an attack by Klarion...it was lethal and Mr. Nelson did not survive Wally's attempt to revive him...Abra Kadabra was detained and sent immediately to the police while Klarion made his escape."

Naruto stood stock still, his fists clenching at his sides before he nodded to the Team.

"I can see the Helmet is safe." he said in an emotionless tone, "You all should go rest up, and no training tomorrow." he turned from the team before he let his emotions get the better of him and allow his welling tears to fall.

He had lost another precious person...had he been able to sent the team before now, things could have ended differently...Kent could have been saved...he could have lived.

Naruto leaned heavily against the wall of the hallway he was walking down in before he punched through it, angry at the worlds cruelty.

"Naruto?" cam a familiar voice that brought his attention back to the real world. Turning, Naruto saw the concerned face of Superboy.

"Yes, Conner?" Naruto asked holding his anger and tears.

Conner could see the tears welling in his eyes of the man he had come to both respect and care for. The man who had taught him more than he could ever hope for. The man who treated him as an equal, yet cared for him as though he were his son.

The man who believed in him.

Without saying anything, Conner swept Naruto in a hug, the blonde allowing himself to be lost in the arms of his ward, taking in the comfort he was offering, allowed himself to cry for the first time in a ridiculously long time. He allowed himself to shed tears for the man whom he revealed everything to. For the man who became his confidant, his ally, mentor, and above all, friend.

Superboy only held onto his Supervisor as he cried, glad he could be there for him in his time of weakness. He certainly didn't know what it was like to lose someone close...but he could imagine after nearly losing Naruto.

And it wasn't something he would ever wish on anyone.

It was only a few moments later that Naruto regathered himself and pulled away from Conner that the clone could see that he had lost more than just Kent Nelson before. He could see, as clear as day, that Naruto had lost many people he cared about.

Naruto wiped his eyes and squeezed Conner's shoulder in silent thanks before stalking off to the Zeta-tubes to take him home. He didn't want to stay in the Cave, but rather the comfort of him house.

Conner didn't say anything as he watched his Supervisor leave, only stared as he was engulfed in the bright blinding white light before he was gone and stalked off to his room for well deserved sleep, hoping Naruto would be alright.

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION
August 20 02:54 EDT

Just as Naruto returned back to his secured safe house, he received another ridiculously annoying notification in his ear that someone, most likely Cheshire, was trying to get in contact with him.

"What?" Naruto demanded, thoroughly emotionally drained with everything that had happened. He didn't have the patience to deal with whatever Cheshire had been trying to tell him for the past hour.

"Finally!" She groaned through the immensely secured communicator, "Why haven't you been answering?!"

"Because I'm damned tired!" he exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

"Doesn't matter! We need to move out now!"

"Why?" he asked alert from her slightly panicked voice.

"'Feathers' is down."

Shit.

A/N:I have mixed feelings about this chapter...I've never been good with confrontation...so, I apologize if you find it lacking as I do.

Also: OMASDHEIYBASDKJCB... you readers have passed the 1k mark for both favorites and follows...this story is the most followed story for this particular cross-over...you guys ROCK! I love you all! Heck, there were 33k+ more views since I last updated this!

Ahem, now, a few replies to reviews that I haven't answered yet.

NIX WARDEN: Omg, your review had me laughing and rolling on the floor! xD

ONESHOTMASTA: I haven't officially stated who Naruto is paired up with. Though I'm sure you all have an inkling of who it'll be.

XETERNALXDRAGONX: I have Naruto's designation as 17 simply because it was the last one before the newer members of the League were indited, like Doctor Fate after Zatara took on the Helmet. So basically I'm just bumping every Leaguer after Naruto up one designation number.

DANTE101: As to the final questions you asked, many of those I would prefer not to answer at the moment. Instead, I ask you to wait and see who 'feathers' is, and so on.

Now to answer a few more questions that I've had asked on more than one occasion.

1) Will there be slash in this story?

While I have absolutely no problem with slash, no, there will not be any same gender relationships in this story revolving around Naruto or any of the other main characters that I have been focusing on. So no Conner/Robin, Naruto/Conner, Wally/Robin, Artemis/Megan, ect. ect.

2) Who is Naruto paired up with?

Same answer I just gave OneShotMasta, I have not confirmed anything as of yet, other than the fact he WILL be paired up with someone before the end of the first season, though I'm sure you've all figured who I'm leaning towards, correct?

3) Who is 'Feathers'?

If you didn't read above, then I will say so again that I will not reveal this until someone figures it out or guesses correctly. Though if no one does by the time two chapters have past this one, then I'll reveal him for who he is.

4) Will you bring in other characters from the Naruto-verse?

I am VERY hesitant to suddenly bring other characters in from the Elemental Nations even if it makes complete sense for them to be sent the same way Naruto was. I've read a few fanfictions where the author does this and for me, it completely KILLS the story. I don't want to ruin this story since it's by far my personal favorite. What do you all think? Should I? I have a poll set up to see your opinion on this matter.

5) WHY U NO UPDATE!?

I could give you a million and one reasons, but here is the main one: I am a complete and total lazy bum when I'm not in a mood to write, and I haven't had the urge to force myself. I mean, did you SEE how many awful mistakes there were in the last chapter? I read over it and feel so inadequate... Anyway, that's the main reason. Sorry!

6) Why do you hate Batman?!

Actually, Batman is one of my favorite heroes in the DC Universe believe it or not. The reason why I chose him to be Naruto's main antagonist at the moment is because I feel he would be the one that would be, realistically, the most suspicious of him because what he's done so far. Don't worry Batman fans! Wait and see how things change over time!

On another note, I'll be completely rewriting the first chapter while doing some major editing in the the first couple of chapters since my writing style has changed A LOT since I published this story, I mean, it was my second one on this site!