Heir of the Sage

by The Metal Sage

Naruto's fateful battle on the Valley takes him to a new world so different from his own. Now, the heir to the ancient Sage of the Six Paths must forge his own destiny by facing the challenges ahead. NarutoXMulti

12. Ashura's Will

Naruto and Marvel belong to Masashi Kishimoto and Disney respectively.

AN: Special thanks to Meneldur for helping to beta the story and giving me plenty of ideas.

Chapter XII: Ashura's Will

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The wind smacking against Jean's face was the only thing she could feel. It was also the only thing that kept her from letting go of her telekinesis and falling to the forest she was flying above. That and her order. "Follow him!" Professor Xavier had ordered, and Jean was doing just that.

The path was easy to follow. All Jean had to do was look at the path of fallen trees and burning grass. She knew that the former had been caused by Juggernaut. She clenched her teeth when the memory of the massive mutant manhandling Ororo into the metal sphere returned. It had been cruel, even more so than others could have imagined. Jean had been one of the only a handful of people that Ororo had confessed to about her crippling claustrophobia. The redhead let a couple of tears roll down her cheeks.

The fire… she also knew who was responsible. The burning crimson energy that had surrounded Naruto was something Jean had felt before… in a dream. She shuddered at the memory of the red-eyed monster. It had undoubtedly influenced Naruto to be so violent, regardless of how much Quicksilver and the Juggernaut deserved it. Before she had flown away, Jean could see the worry in Magneto as he held the grey-haired boy that had been almost cut in half.

'I have to find him… before he does something he regrets.'

Jean's thoughts were broken by a massive surge of malevolent energy. It was so strong that it forced her back several feet. The unmistakable sounds of battle soon reached her. She was getting closer.

When she found them, it was at a clearing, surrounded by recently uprooted trees. At the center was Naruto… or whatever it was that had possessed her blonde friend. The toxic red energy that had cloaked Naruto before now formed a circle around him, and while she had seen only one tail before, now there were three, with the beginnings of a fourth slowly forming behind his back.

'Naruto… what has happened to you?' His teeth were clenched, and they looked more like fangs. The whisker marks that had looked cute before were now darker and feral, claws had replaced normal fingernails, and his eyes, once blue, were now an angry crimson red. Not like those he activated during training sessions, but those of a predator about to rip apart its prey. Where once those eyes were filled with mirth and mischief, they were now twin pools of absolute hate. And when Jean turned her attention to what he was looking at, she felt a similar hate starting to brew.

Juggernaut, the monster that had been horribly cruel to Ororo, was opposite of Naruto. Dark eyes shone with sadistic glee, capped with a bloodthirsty grin. Jean felt her heart clench as she recalled Ororo's scream of sheer terror. For just a moment, she thought of letting Naruto hurt the man for what he had done to her best friend.

Jean shook her head and concentrated on Naruto. It was clearly getting worse by the minute, and a brief recollection of the dream reminded her of what he could become. She had to stop it, but at the same time if she calmed Naruto, both would be defenseless against the Juggernaut. As much as she hated seeing Naruto like this, he was the best to go against their opponent.

'The helmet.' The Professor had said that his brother's helmet was the key to stopping him. She looked closely to see that two of the clasps had already been taken off by Nightcrawler. Jean had already tried to pry off the clasps with her telekinetic powers only to fail. She would have to get close enough to use her hands. A brief study told Jean Juggernaut was concentrated on just one thing: Naruto. 'I have to take my chance now, while he's distracted.' But as soon as she started to fly at the massive mutant, a wave of sheer, murderous power slammed into her. The redhead screamed, getting her bearings just inches away from the ground. Immediately, Jean set her eyes on the source.

If she had not seen Naruto before, she would not have believed it was him. His skin was gone, replaced by a dark crimson coat. His eyes were perfect circles of pure white, the same as his suddenly sharp teeth. The only thing that remained was his spiky hair, though that too was turned to blackened red. Behind him, four tails now swayed back and forth like demonic snakes wanting nothing more than to strike. Jean was only partially relieved that they were focused on his opponent.

Both opponents stood by for only a few agonizingly long seconds. Juggernaut was the first to lose his patience and charge like a living boulder against Naruto. His hands – each big enough to envelop a grown man's head – were held in front of him, looking to crush the transformed blonde.

Naruto let out a primal growl that sent a visible shockwave. The trees shuddered around him, and Jean had to hold on to a branch to stay in place. He charged, leaving a trail of blackened grass behind him. It was only a short distance between the two, yet to Jean it seemed to be forever, as if she were watching two trains collide and could not stop it no matter what she did.

When they reached one another, it almost seemed like the world stopped. A bang that nearly shattered Jean's eardrums was accompanied by another shockwave. This time, several trees were torn from their place and the ones that stayed put lost several branches.

Once the dust had settled, Jean could see them. The Juggernaut was like a boulder, and just as slow and clumsy. He lobbed a punch that could destroy a bank vault at his opponent only for Naruto to get below him with a claw and slash at the exposed belly. There was a ripping of flesh, and blackened blood shone in the moonlight as it splashed on the grass. But as soon as the skin was torn, it regenerated with barely an acknowledgement from the Juggernaut. He retaliated with another punch. It found its mark this time.

"Naruto!" cried Jean, her eyes following the black and crimson figure as it crashed against the ground, disappearing into a heavy cloud of dust. Her first impulse was to fly as quickly as she could towards him but stopped. 'It won't matter.' She fixed her eyes on the remaining clasps of Juggernaut's helmet. 'Take off his helmet to defeat him,' the Professor had said. 'That's the only way it will stop.'

The Juggernaut was approaching his target slowly, with a grin similar to a man waiting for a delicious meal. It was enough for Jean to approach him from behind to study the clasp. He was too focused on Naruto to notice her.

Jean breathed to calm her shaking body. 'Concentrate… concentrate….' There was a barely noticeable clicking noise. In spite of all, her lip tugged into a small smirk. There was only one more to go. But Jean was suddenly flung back by Naruto's roar. This time, she landed on her back with a grunt.

Naruto was back as before, as if the blow had only been a slight inconvenience. He gave a heavy growl to Juggernaut, round white eyes brimming with violent intent. Both opponents charged in unison. Naruto was more careful this time, slashing and clawing while keeping track of the Juggernaut's hands. Flesh was ripped and torn, but the massive mutant barely paid attention to it. He was getting angry however, each time that one of his attacks was evaded. He launched himself against Naruto, but was batted away by four crimson tipped tails. Six big trees were shattered before Juggernaut landed. There was no usual victory lap from Naruto, only another hateful growl.

Jean looked at where the Professor's brother lay unmoving. Any other person would be dead. She kept a safe distance away from Naruto as she flew to the Juggernaut. With him taken out, it would be easy to take off the helmet and pacify him… then she would have to worry about Naruto.

Her plans were interrupted by a cough, followed by a chuckle, and then full-blown laughter. Juggernaut was still conscious!

The ground trembled with his footsteps. His dark laugh died once he looked at Naruto and grinned. "Is that all you've got? Come on! Give me more!" Juggernaut charged like a raging bull; Naruto growled and did the same. Jean couldn't undo the final buckle and flew back to the air just in time to avoid being flung to the ground again.

'I can't get near them. This battle is way beyond my level.' Jean felt despair crawl into her heart but shook her head to stop the helplessness from overtaking her. 'Focus, Jean. Focus.'

As the dust settled again, Jean could see the two opponents locked in place. Naruto's crimson claws were clasped against Juggernaut's enormous mitts. Their arms shook behind the pressure. Neither looked like he was going to overtake the other, however, Naruto's corrosive chakra was starting to burn Juggernaut's palms.

With a roar, Juggernaut raised Naruto's monstrous form and then smashed him to the ground, raised him again, and smashed him to the ground again. Again, and again. Jean thought of how she could intervene yet only stayed put as Juggernaut dislodged one of his hands to find his opponent's throat. Naruto retaliated with his tails; their points impaled the Juggernaut like they were spears. It only made him grunt and nothing more. Then, he continued his assault.

'He's going to kill him!' Jean reached out for her power and concentrated. Just one more clasp… just one more. It was so simple and yet so hard, with the battle raging in front of her. But she had to do did not hear the click, but she felt it. Yet before she could take off the helmet, a cold shiver raced along her spine.

Naruto's beating had stopped, and he laid still with his throat gripped by the Juggernaut. Yet he was not unconscious or dead. Suddenly, several balls sprang from his body. Half of them were colored a translucent blue, the other half were a blackened crimson. Time seemed to stop as the balls converged in front of Naruto's face into a single dark purple sphere. Jean almost felt herself being pulled towards the ball; stones around her did start to follow the sphere, even as it shrunk to the size of a baseball.

Fly! That was what every muscle was screaming at her. Fly as fast as you can! And she did, but her eyes stayed glued to Naruto the entire time.

The sphere shrank to the size of an apple, just enough for Naruto to swallow it whole. The ground below them cratered, and Juggernaut let go, and actually found himself stepping back. Naruto's torso ballooned to a ridiculous proportion, so much that Jean thought he was going to explode. He did not. Naruto opened his mouth again, and the black ball was fired like a cannon, straight at Juggernaut.

Jean saw only white, and it was followed by a deafening explosion. She was catapulted back and slammed against a tree. Even the slightest move of her finger was prevented by the force. It was so strong that she thought it would rip her apart. It lasted for no more than a few seconds, but it was like an eternity until gravity returned and her body crumpled on the ground. She opened her eyes to a blur and her ears rang. Lying there, Jean tried to feel for any broken bones, but there was no pain. Her entire body was numb.

Sight returned slowly, and to her relief she started to hear her own breaths. She thanked her fortunes that nothing was broken as she stood up clumsily. A gasp left her lips as soon as all her senses returned and stood witness to the scene before her.

There were no trees left, and no grass. Only a massive hole on the ground. It looked as if a meteorite had crashed, leaving only a barren wasteland of dry soil. As if that wasn't enough, the trees around were flattened in a perfectly circular shape, only the big ones like the one she crashed into still stood, if slightly bent. And at the center of the cataclysm stood Naruto.

'It's over.' It had to be. Juggernaut was surely dead after that. The Professor would not be happy, but at least it was over. Now, Jean's mind was focused solely on Naruto, and wracking her brain to find a way to bring him back. "N-Naruto?" she asked the four-tailed figure. "Can you hear me? It's ov –"

A chuckle came from the darkness.

Jean tried to ignore it, as if that would be enough for it to disappear. She didn't want to look… but the chuckle was followed by footsteps. "It can't be…"

What met her eyes was a vision that made her want to gag and tremble at the same time. The footsteps came from two legs that were held apart by only a few slivers of muscle. One arm had the entirety of the flesh blown off, hanging only by a few tendons beneath the hand, of the other, there was barely anything. She looked at what she assumed was his chest, but saw only a ribcage with few organs left; the beating heart was in full view. That and the working lungs evidenced that this… thing was still alive. Juggernaut's face was barely a ghoulish skull, with scraps of raw flesh suspended around his neck. The path he left was an amalgamation of blood and organs, with intestines trailing behind him like a nest of red snakes.

Jean stood frozen in place, watching as the body slowly but surely began to reassemble itself. At her side, Naruto growled menacingly again. The corrosive energy was seeping out of him and Jean twitched as goosebumps sprang across her body. It felt as if she was being enveloped by a coat of rancid oil.

"More! I want more!" Juggernaut exploded into psychotic laughter. His lidless eyes were wide open and the missing lips made it look like he had a spine-chilling grin perpetually fixed on what remained of his face. "Come give me more!" He made to charge again and Jean stood frozen in place.

Suddenly, Jean's eyes met something that her fear prevented her from realizing, yet was plain to see now.

Juggernaut didn't have his helmet.

Jean immediately set her mind to action. Professor Xavier had been right: while Juggernaut was an unstoppable beast with his body, what lay between his ears was barely above that of a child. It didn't take a lot of effort from Jean.

"Nghhhh!" Juggernaut's eyes darted around until they settled on Jean. "What! You are like – no! Not again! I want more! I want – arrrrgh!" His charge slowed to a trot, then to a walk, and then to a crawl, until he finally stopped moving.

A breath that Jean didn't realize she'd been holding escaped her lungs. The adrenaline left her body and she felt the exhaustion deep into her bones. Still, a grin tugged at her lips. "It's done." Her eyes struggled to remain open as she turned to Naruto… then her grin fell.

He still stared at Juggernaut's body, with the same murderous growl rumbling from his throat. The poisonous crimson chakra still seeped out of him.

"Naruto?" she questioned, braving the chakra's nauseous effect on her stomach. "It's over, Naruto. We won." He snapped his head at her direction with a snarl. The chakra only got more powerful but she stepped forward nonetheless. "Come back. This isn't you." There was another warning growl but still she went on. "Don't make me do this… please."

Then he roared, and wind and dust flew all around him. Jean covered her eyes with her arms but still she continued. Behind him, she could see the beginnings of a new tail being formed. 'There can't be another! I have to stop this!' She looked at him and said, "I'm sorry Naruto." Then she focused her mind on him.

Time stopped still, and suddenly she was not in a crater in the middle of a forest. She was weightless, and her eyes registered colors and shapes of all sizes that made her head hurt. Her eyes closed. This was not going to be as easy as Juggernaut. Naruto was not stupid. He was loud, obnoxious, tactless, rude, and had a habit of rushing into things without thinking, but he was not stupid.

When Jean opened her eyes, it was to the hallways she had seen in her dreams. Like before, doors were arrayed on the walls. Each one identical to the last. Tepid water reached her shins, which made it annoying to walk around. "Naruto!" she yelled only to hear her own voice echo back. "Naruto!" None of the doors opened when she turned the knobs. Part of her was relieved, recalling the awful voices from before.

A splash of water reached her ears and she snapped her head towards a branching hallway. "Naruto?" she asked. There was no response. Her feet waded through the water as she made her way to the place the sound had originated from. Nothing was there when she arrived, until she heard another splash at the next branch. Jean grunted impatiently, feeling like a cat teased by a laser-pointer. At the next turn however, instead of another splash, she saw a door close just as she arrived. She opened it with a shaking hand and entered.

There was only darkness at first, but eventually her eyes settled into what seemed like the center of the room, where a dim light emanated from an unknown source. As Jean got closer to it, she started to notice things. Water gave way to grass and a gentle breeze. Sounds reached her ears. It was the unmistakable noise of children. As the vision became clearer, she started to see them, playing, laughing, and talking to each other in a language she could not understand – Naruto's language.

She smiled as she saw the children, remembering simpler times when she too ran around the playground without a care in the world. Before her powers; before Annie. The children mostly had brown hair, but some were quite exotic: white, gray, blue, even pink. The shade that made her stop was a familiar spiky blonde.

It was Naruto alright, but much younger… and unbelievably cute! He was wearing a green shirt with a red swirl emblazoned at the front. His hair was as spiky as it had always been, his whiskers were even more adorable at this age… and his eyes… his blue eyes looked to the ground, filled with a deep sadness.

A ball rolled away from the children and towards Naruto. A smile broke out, small but clear. Picking up the ball, he approached the children. It was like any other scene she had seen where a child wanted to play with another group. That was until the mothers that had been chatting among themselves sprang from their seats and hurried towards their children, taking them away and reprimanding them while either ignoring Naruto, or worse, glaring at him.

The deep sadness returned to Naruto as everybody left. He dropped the ball and walked back to sit on a swing by himself. Jean walked to him and knelt beside his younger and smaller figure.

"Naruto?" As she tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, it went through him as if he were a ghost. She knelt there with a heavy heart until a new voice broke the silence.

Jean turned around to see a man floating in a sitting position. He had gray skin, two horns on his forehead, and ringed purple eyes. Jean felt her brain tickle and when the man talked, she could understand him as clearly as if she had been listening to the language her entire childhood.

"My apologies for any discomfort. 'Tis better for all of us to understand each other, correct?" Jean nodded and looked back to Naruto. "You cannot aid this boy. 'Tis only a memory of yore. But Naruto is in danger at the present, and he is the one you can help, before Kurama breaks out of his prison."

She stood up again as she remembered what had brought her here in the first place. "Who are you? And who is Kurama?"

The old man's voice was regal and dignified. "I was known by many names, but you may call me Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of the Six Paths. As for Kurama, he is the entity trapped within Uzumaki Naruto that gives him this destructive power."

"Jean Grey," she responded simply. He gave a graceful nod in response and floated back to the darkness. Jean followed him, turning back to give a final glance to Naruto, still sitting alone on the swing.

They did not go back to the hallway, instead they found another door that led to another dark room – another memory. Her gaze found Naruto's spiky yellow hair again. The room slowly started to shift to another scene.

Naruto looked slightly older. Around six or seven years old now. He was walking through an apartment, small to her, but at the same time too big for a child. Another person appeared behind him. A short man with white hair and faint liver spots, wearing a white and red robe with a triangular hat that covered the sides of his face.

"This is where you will be living now, Naruto," said the old man with a wizened voice that still carried kindness. "The landlord was uncomfortable that someone as young as you would be living by himself, but still accepted the money. You will be given a weekly stipend for your needs and you have also been enrolled into the Academy. The orphanage can't look out for you anymore, so try and behave."

"Is that why my parents left me? The people at the orphanage said they did. Because I was bad." He looked at the old man with downcast eyes. "Can you tell them to come back? I promise I won't be bad if they come back." Jean had to purse her lips to stop them from trembling.

The old man knelt to meet Naruto's face. "I cannot bring them back… but they never left you." He pressed a hand to Naruto's heart. "They're always with you."

"Who were they?"

There was a pained expression on the old man's face. "I cannot say that now. When you are older, I promise I will tell you." He walked to leave the apartment, leaving a saddened Naruto behind. He turned back one last time upon reaching the door. "But you should know that they were very brave… and they loved you like nothing else."

"We must keep moving," interrupted the Sage. Jean followed him, her gaze never leaving Naruto until he could no longer see him.

The following doors led to more memories. Scenes of Naruto being belittled, insulted, but most of all, being ignored, and in the few times he was acknowledged, it was only as if he were something nasty that had been stuck at the bottom of a person's shoe. In all of the scenes, there was a final response from Naruto.

"I am going to become the greatest Hokage! Then I will show you!" he would say, and everyone would laugh. At least they paid attention then.

But there were also scenes that Jean wished she could have seen more. A memory of a boy who sacrificed himself for his master, and the master later choosing to die alongside him. A memory of Naruto deciding to choose his fate, rather than succumb to the one he'd been given. Later, one in which he defeated a red-haired boy and saved his village. Finally, a sorrowful one of two best friends fighting each other to near death.

"We are close now," said the Sage as he nodded to another door. This time, the room was not from a memory.

There were two massive statues, at least thirty feet tall and made out of fine marble. They were carved into the likeness of two young men facing each other. They were both holding the same posture, with their hands in front of them making a sign similar to the ones Naruto made to mould his chakra. The one on the left had longer hair, and his face was stoic; the symbol of the moon was etched over him. The eyes were what Jean noticed the most. They were Naruto's red eyes. What he called the Sharingan.

Opposite of him, the other statue showed a man with shorter hair and a barely noticeable smile, and above him was etched the symbol of a sun. At the tips of their fingers were flames but they were wholly different. They were bright gold in color and with an intensity that lit up the room, while the flames of the statue on the right were black, and much smaller, as if they had just been recently kindled.

"Who are they?" asked Jean.

The Sage closed his eyes. There was a sadness evident even in that neutral face. "Indra," he said, pointing to the statue on the left, "the elder. And Ashura," he pointed to the one on the right, "the younger. They were my most powerful children. The ones that inherited my chakra the most… and the ones that live on in this boy. Their chakra united is my chakra."

He pointed at Ashura. "I thought at first that only Ashura had reincarnated in Naruto. Can you see those flames burning bright? Naruto's personality is much like Ashura's as well, at first glance." He then pointed to Indra's dark flames, young yet unbending. "But Indra was hidden as well. Deep inside Naruto – love and hatred without equal – that is Indra. Love and hatred that has only now shown its face."

Jean narrowed her eyes at the Sage. "Only now? How is it that Naruto has not hated until today? With all that he has been through?"

The Sage gave the ghost of a smile. "That was sadness, girl. Sadness and loneliness, not hatred. Hate is not the opposite of love. They are brothers. Hate cannot exist without love. How could Naruto learn to hate, when he had never learned to love?" He looked at Indra with regret. "It is only recently that Naruto has come to know what it is to love and to be loved, thanks to people like you. When those that one loves are taken away… when he feels that his love is rejected… that is when a person learns what hatred truly is."

Jean pondered the Sage's words as while trailing behind him to the large door between the statues of Indra and Ashura. It opened at the presence of the Sage to reveal another hallway, but this one was without doors.

"Come hither, with haste. Time is not on our side – Kurama grows stronger with each passing second." He floated faster on a straight line along the hallway. Jean stopped slogging in the water and decided to fly as well to keep up with her companion. Faster and faster they went until they reached the end. "Are you prepared for what lays ahead?" Jean nodded and the final door opened.

Jean's eyes could not help but be drawn to the massive beast. Last time she had only seen a glimpse of it, now, it was in full view. Its fur was a violent shade of orange, the eyes were an angry red just as she remembered them, with jaws that could easily swallow a child whole. Behind it, nine tails swayed menacingly with sadistic glee, and the reason for it was right in front.

Jean gasped. "Naruto!" He was suspended in front of the fox; his body was limp and yet held by some unseen power. Eyes once blue were now completely white, and from them and his open mouth spewed a steady stream of thick red mist. The X-Men uniform was torn at the stomach to expose a complex sort of tattoo.

"Come to me," growled the beast. "You wish for the pain to go away? I will help you. Take off the seal, and with my power we will destroy everything that hurts you." Jean took a moment to study the cell. There was no lock, only a large piece of parchment, Japanese kanji written on it with black ink.

Naruto began to float towards the seal, hand reaching forward like it was tied to a string, manipulated by an unseen puppet-master. There was a moment, however brief, in which he stopped, and realization dawned. His whole body went still as the fox growled in frustration.

The Sage nodded in satisfaction. "The seal is not damaged… as of now. Alas, it will not remain so if we let this continue."

"How do I stop it?" Jean's attempts to communicate with Naruto telepathically did not work.

"A simple mental message will not work. It will require more than that. But you are a telepath – You know what you must do. It will be easier since you are both telepaths."

Jean did know what she had to do. Several times Professor Xavier had talked about forming telepathic links with other people. Ones that could destroy many boundaries intrinsic to mental communication. But they were hard to make and even harder to break, it also meant that both her and Naruto's mental privacy would be even more compromised than before.

"I don't think I can do it," confessed Jean, out of genuine concern of harming Naruto, but there was also a hidden part that was scared of forming such a link.

The Sage turned to her with cold eyes. "There can be no hesitation now. If you truly do not believe that you can do it, then leave this place."

"But if I leave him? If Kurama takes over?"

The Sage nodded his head. "He will die. As he is, my descendant will not survive Kurama's full power. He is still young. Kurama will destroy to sate his rage for several days, but then he will retreat into isolation as he always has… until somebody else seeks him out to use his power."

"I won't let that happen!" The words came out of Jean's mouth before she even had the chance to fully think about them. "I won't." Her doubts were banished. She would not let Naruto die!

The Sage definitely smiled this time. "Naruto is fortunate to have a person like you, Jean Grey." His eyes gazed up at the blackened ceiling. "You remind me of someone."

"Who was it?"

The Sage shook his head. "Someone long gone. If the One-Above-All wills it, I will return to her when my task is done." Jean did not ask any more on the sensitive subject.

The beast did not notice either the Sage or Jean at first, not until they were right next to Naruto.

The fox gave a red-eyed glare to the Sage. "Why are you here, old man?"

The Sage closed his eyes and released an exhausted breath. "I have come to stop you, Kurama."

"You will stop me?!" Kurama growled while giving a raging crimson-eyed glare at the Sage. "You leave me condemned to live among these people, allow them to imprison me, and now try to stop me from regaining my freedom?!"

"If you go on like this, he will die."

"I know that!" spat Kurama, "but I don't care! Let him die, just like Mito and Kushina died. If it means my freedom, I will gladly kill every descendant of the Senju and the Uchiha… and I just so happen to find one that is both!"

The Sage shook his head. "You know I cannot let you do this, Kurama."

Kurama laughed. "And you are going to stop me?"

"Not I," the Sage nodded towards her, "but she will."

The red eyes glared at Jean with a hatred she had never experienced. It made her blood freeze and she found herself planted on the spot, not daring to move a muscle.

"Worry not. Kurama cannot hurt you so long as the seal stands strong," assured the Sage. "Go on and help him, Jean Grey. Time is of the essence."

Jean curled her fingers into a fist and braved past the hateful eyes and the blood-curdling snarl. She elevated her body towards Naruto. His face had darkened and become feral, a combination of fear and primal rage, with his eyes now a glowing red.

"Naruto?" she asked. "Can you hear me?" There was no reaction. "This is not you. I know that as much as you do." Her eyes closed and concentrated on his mind, only his and hers. "You're still there, deep inside. I'm going to reach out for you. Hold on to me."

Her mind dove into a boiling pool of rage and hate. Anger so deep it threatened to either drown or burn her alive. She pushed further still, no matter how much she thought the feelings were justified, and even as she left it, she did so growling and screaming at the top of her lungs. Then, the pool became freezing cold, and with it a feeling of deep melancholy and loneliness. Jean stopped dead in her tracks, pushed her head against her knees and wallowed in her own misery. Her lip trembled, her eyes watered, and sobs escaped her lungs. There was no warmth, no hope, no love… no reason to exist.

Suddenly, there was a spark at the tips of her toes that halted her cries. The feeling spread up her feet, her legs, her spine, and eventually her whole body. A hand settled on shoulder and finally she opened her eyes.

Naruto was in front of her, the same child she'd seen in the first memory. Another hand settled on the other shoulder – it was Naruto when he was found almost a year ago. Finally, her eyes met a figure in front of her. It was still Naruto… an older Naruto, on the cusp of adulthood. Jean took his offered hand and stood up. His hair was spiky as ever, but the remaining baby fat was gone, and he'd gotten one hell of a growth spurt. Despite an aura of maturity, that same warm smile remained. One that she returned with her own.

There were no words that needed to be said. He readily opened his mind to her and she responded with the same, hesitantly at first, but the feeling of peace was intoxicating. She was floating away, without a weight in the world. The rage, the hate, and the sadness were obliterated like they had never existed. Even with her departure, a small part of her stayed behind, just as a small part of him went with her.

When Jean opened her eyes, it was to the beautiful night sky, with a million stars smiling at her and the moon greeting her like a friend. A smile tugged at her lips, along with the desire to stay there for hours in perfect harmony, but a groan snapped her back to reality.

Jean's heart almost jumped out of her chest when she saw the Juggernaut, but he was just as harmless as she'd left him. It was the other figure that gave her more concern.

"Naruto?" The X-Men uniform had been mostly destroyed. Not enough to completely expose him, but enough to see that his skin had reddened to an unhealthy shade, almost as if he'd been dunked into a pot of boiling water. Her panic was only alleviated when she got close enough to hear his soft breaths.

Jean ignored her protesting muscles as she placed him over his shoulder. Exhausted as she was, Jean did not trust her powers to carry him telekinetically. "Ugh… couldn't you have delayed that growth spurt for another few years?" As she carried him out of the crater, Jean reminded herself to thank Wolverine for pushing them so hard in their training, yet even with that endurance, and adrenaline doing the rest, she felt ready to collapse just a few yards after leaving the crater.

Then, the redhead heard something, and soon enough felt something. At first, she thought it was the X-Men finally coming to aid her, but their presence was completely wrong.

"… gotta be around here somewhere. Toad! Get up on that tree!" That had been Lance's voice; the heavy footsteps must be thanks to Fred Dukes.

Her heart sank. The X-Men had lost the battle. She knew that with only a weakened Shadowcat, Rogue, and Nightcrawler – and with Wolverine battling against Sabretooth – Professor Xavier would have a hard time dealing with Magneto, yet she had still hoped for a miracle to pull them through.

For a moment, Jean imagined taking them all out. She could not see Magneto, or Mystique. As for Quicksilver… the last she had seen of the boy, he was so badly wounded that Magneto had broken his stoic posture and rushed to his side. Reality crashed her fantasies before they could take flight. Her body was on the brink of collapse, and she'd have to defend an unconscious Naruto.

With a heavy heart, Jean trudged to a large tree and set down the blonde, his body held by the hollowed-out trunk. With a chuckle, she remembered the last talk she'd had with him.

"You deserve happiness. Far more than you realize. I can't fight them, but I won't let them have you." Jean fished inside her pocket and retrieved the gold-colored necklace he'd given her. "Stay safe, Naruto… and have a great life. You are not a monster…" She wiped the tears from her eyes and placed the necklace in Naruto's hand. "Goodbye."

She stood up, took a deep breath, and walked towards the Brotherhood. It didn't take much to find them, she just had to follow her nose to find Tolansky. Toad and Lance were sporting red blotches where bruises would surely form. Fred looked as dumb as ever. They were overlooking the clearing where the battle had taken place, with eyes wide as saucers.

Toad was the first to see her. "Yo, Lance!" he alerted, jumping down from the tree. "Well, ain't you a sight for sore eyes, cutie." Jean felt her stomach turn.

Lance turned to face her. "Where's blondie?" he asked angrily. Being defeated by Naruto again must have dug up old wounds and poured salt over them, especially now that he could see the difference between their powers.

She held her ground and nodded towards the crater. "He's dead."

"You expect me to believe that?" He turned to his teammates. "Maybe these two would, but I don't think so."

Jean held her ground. "I told you, he's gone."

Lance grit his teeth. "I was told to bring the two of you in and there's no way that damn blonde died."

"Woah, woah! Are you really thinking about bringing him with us?!" interrupted Toad as he perched on a thick branch. "Are you insane? Didn't you see what that freak did to Pietro? Guy's lucky to be alive!"

Freak. Jean hated that word, always had. But it was especially cruel when used to describe Naruto. Her fingers curled into a fist, and did her best to not let her anger use it.

"Magneto wants him," retorted Lance.

Toad clicked his tongue. "What Magneto doesn't know, won't hurt him. We have one telepath," he nodded to the crater, "and this one doesn't do that!" Lance held his ground but Toad continued with a smirk. "'Sides, with him gone, you don't have to worry about him snatching up the little Kitty Kat." Fred just nodded dumbly in a way that made Jean hug herself protectively. "And think about it. If he comes with us, blondie would definitely be the new team leader. Wanna be taking orders from blondie, Lance?"

That seemed to have triggered something fierce inside Lance. "Fine!" he growled. "But if Magneto complains, then it's on you!" He turned back to her. "Are you going to be difficult?"

Jean hugged herself tighter. If she ran away now, Magneto himself would come and find Naruto as well. "Just take me to my friends," she said.

Two metal balls descended from the sky. Only two, not five. Lance gripped his fists angrily; the meaning was not lost on him. "Two can fit in one!" he growled defiantly.

Jean swallowed hard when one of the spheres opened. It was dark and cold inside, and her heart wrenched when she imagined the horror Ororo must have gone through. 'At least I'll be with her.' The memory of comforting Ororo after one of her nightmares gave her courage.

She watched as Lance got into the other sphere, but Toad and Fred were both approaching hers. "No, you don't!" she growled and used the last of her energy to forcefully throw the two together with Lance. Jean noted with satisfaction that it was a tight fit. It was short lived. The metal prison sealed itself and she felt it start to levitate.

In the darkness she found Naruto. The part of him that was forever linked to her now. Jean felt it get dimmer and dimmer, but never fully dead.

"Goodbye, Naruto. Goodbye…"

---

"Goodbye… goodbye… goo…bye… g…bye…"

Before Naruto even opened his eyes, he hissed. His skin felt as if it had become ten times more sensitive, like being burned with a frying pan, but on his entire body. He tried to sit up despite the pain, but collapsed back to the ground. The blades of grass were almost like a hundred pins stabbing him all at the same time.

"Easy there." The voice was that of a man's, deep and tired. Once the blurriness left Naruto's eyes, he saw the man even looked tired. The greasy, dark brown hair appeared to not have been washed for days. He was wearing a worn brown coat with dirty jeans. His face was unshaved and dark bags were under his eyes, yet he acted normal, as if he had been living like this for years. He approached, smelling like an amalgamation of sweat, smoke, and an overflowing trash can to offer a canteen to Naruto's mouth. "Don't drink too fast."

The water was warm, slightly salty, and had the tinge of a metallic taste to it. It was the best water Naruto had ever tasted. The liquid cooled his frayed throat and alleviated some of his pain. The man nodded and returned to a makeshift fire to stir a worn pot.

Naruto closed his tired eyes. He thought of what might have happened that got him here. There was Jean, and he was talking to her. Then there was a noise – Magneto had showed up with his team and Juggernaut.

Juggernaut!

His muscles snapped to attention, but all he got for his efforts were several cramps. Lying down in the grass, he realized his uniform had been all but destroyed. 'What happened?' He remembered Juggernaut fighting against Ororo and Jean, and then Ororo was crying. It had made him snap. 'The Kyūbi,' he realized with a grit of his teeth. That's right – everybody knew now.

A pleasant smell reached his nostrils. The man approached with a steaming wooden bowl which he promptly offered to Naruto. Naruto's stomach growled before he could thank him properly and the man just smiled mirthlessly while he wolfed the stew down so quickly that he barely managed to process how delicious it was.

"Thanks," said Naruto. There was an uncomfortable silence. "Ehh… do you know what happened to me?"

They sat on a fallen trunk. "I found you by a tree. You either must have crawled out of the destruction or somebody left you there. You were lucky it was me that saw you, and not…" he trailed off.

"Who?"

The man sighed. "Well, it's better that you see for yourself. Can you stand up or do I have to carry you?"

However brief, the rest had been enough for Naruto to regain some strength. His stomach growled again but he would not take more of the man's stew without anything to give back. Still, even when their destination was not far off, Naruto felt the exhaustion creep back to his bones. It was easy to ignore once he saw what lay before him.

The crater must have been around the size of the Mansion grounds, all around it were devastated trees either half blown up or torn down by the force. As for the hole itself, it was only lifeless brown where it had once been green.

But that was not all. Figures were slowly climbing down to the center of the crater, while others surveyed the area around it. There were some in uniform and armed, while others wore white coats and carried notepads, but all of their vehicles bore the same symbol: a round insignia depicting an eagle. Behind the yellow plastic lines that had been erected, people with cameras and microphones were almost struggling to get in.

The man cursed as a helicopter flew above them. "We can't stay here long. They're interested in the crater now, but soon they'll start a sweep of the area."

Naruto looked at him with furrowed brows. "How do you know?"

"Trust me," the man said simply.

Once they returned to the campsite, they ate the final portions of the stew and did their best to destroy evidence of the fire.

"By the way," said the man as he fished for something in his pockets, "this was on you."

The blonde grabbed the object and his hand began to shake. A necklace the shade of gold. He had bought several but this was for Jean. He thought he had felt Jean before passing out, even when he woke up. The message was clear to him.

"They hate me now," Naruto said to the ground. "I tried to hide it, tried to make sure that they never knew what I really was."

The man gave him a sympathetic look as he hauled the gear behind his back. He bit back some words and walked the opposite way from where the crater was. Naruto followed him half-heartedly through the forest. He was silent the whole time, but the man seemed used to it.

"What's your name?" Naruto finally asked.

"No names," responded the man. "I won't ask for yours. And don't get used to my company. I prefer to stay alone, for my sake and for yours."

Naruto looked at the ground. "I don't like being alone."

The man grunted. "Best get used to it." Naruto gave him a confused look. "Look, don't ask about it, but I'm pretty sure I know what you're going through. You can't control it, I know. You don't want it to happen but it does, I know. You are afraid of hurting those that are close to you, I know. So, the best thing to do is to move on. They'll be safer off without you."

Shaking his head, Naruto tried to deny what the man was saying, no matter how much it made sense at the moment. "What would you know about it?" he asked a little too bitterly.

If the man had been offended, he did not show it. "Kid, I have lost everything and everyone. Hurt them repeatedly despite my wishes. It was for the best that I cut them away from my life. No matter how much it hurt. I recommend you do the same, but do what you will."

Naruto felt a pang at his heart. He never knew what it was to lose everyone until now. 'Was this how Sasuke felt?' His rival always told him that he could never understand what it meant to have people only to lose them. Naruto never had anyone growing up. When he did start to get close to people, he swore he would fight to never lose them… cutting them off was not even a consideration. 'But it was they who decided to leave me. Did they leave me?' A dark part responded. 'Of course they did, idiot! Nobody wants you!' He shook his head again to ignore the voice and looked back at the man.

"There has to be someone left," he responded.

There was doubt in the man's face. Still, he responded. "A cousin, younger than me. She helped me through some of the worst times of my life. But I will not see her again. She does not deserve to have any more burdens laid on her."

He pointed in one direction. "That way leads south. There are small towns where you can find odd jobs for a few days, enough to buy some food. If you need to steal, then do so from those that have more than others, and only things you can't do without, like a change of clothes. Stay away from the police and don't remain in one place for too long." He rambled on after Naruto stopped paying attention.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"East, until I get to the sea. Then I'll go north. Canada has as many isolated areas as the United States if not more. Then I'd figure I'd go to Alaska. After that I'll have to figure something else again. Maybe come back, or catch a boat across the Pacific. It depends. Won't say any more than that."

Naruto looked at the ground and grit his teeth. "So just go around to nowhere in particular, always alone, keeping away from everyone until the end of time?"

There was no anger from the man, no annoyance, no hate, not even pity. There was nothing at all in his voice other than tiredness. "It's how it is for people like us."

Memories that Naruto tried to forget flooded back. People often talked about life after death. Depending on the culture, they had different versions of hell. Naruto hadn't thought much about it. If he were to be asked about it, however, he would say that hell was not a place of eternal pain, but of complete and total loneliness. Now, he was being told to follow that path.

'It's for their good. You will kill them.' He shook his head viciously. 'You are alone. You will always be alone. Nobody has ever wanted you.' "No!" he shouted so hard that the man actually jumped from his stoicism. "I won't do it! I won't!"

"And what will you do?"

Naruto bared his teeth. "I'm not going to give up! No matter what! That's my nindo. I will fight every day, with my fists and with my words to, no matter the pain. It's still better than being alone." He looked towards the nearby hill to get his bearings and then turned back to the man. "There's people out there for me. Whether they're these ones or others, I will find them, and I will fight to my last breath for them."

Saying no other words, Naruto jumped towards the mansion. The golden pendant was grasped tightly within his hand. 'They will be there for me. They have to. And I have to be there for them!'

---

Shaking his head as he watched as the blonde disappeared into the woods, Bruce Banner could only feel sorry for him. The end result would be the same for him as it was for Bruce. The boy was going to fight it, and that will only make it worse.

And yet… there was something in those words. Something that made him remember another time, buried long ago. He was good at that, burying things. Burying his past, his mother… and his father. Burying the friendships and the loved ones and the memories of when he had felt alive.

There was one memory that dug itself from the earth he'd smothered it into. It was of more innocent days, before the bomb… before the other guy. It had been a hot day, usually he'd never think much of it, but Little Jen was pestering him to accompany her for a popsicle. He couldn't do it, he had told her. Not now that he had a project for school, yet even then, Bruce had already known he'd relent. Try as he might, Bruce could never say no to Little Jen.

Little Jen… last he heard she was about to graduate from law school in San Francisco, on the other side of the country. Just like him, Jennifer had little family left, and none she was fond of. Nobody to congratulate her for her accomplishments. But what family was he? A man that could easily slip into a monster. Would he burden her so?

'One day… maybe I can hold it for one day for her. Can I? Bruce looked at the road, one led east, where he had intended to go. The other was back west. Where he had come from, where Little Jen lay in the end. Bruce felt a pain in his chest, and for a moment thought the other guy was about to come out… but no. After a few moments, he realized he was laughing. It had been a long time since he had to make such a decision. A long time since he had ever bothered to ask his heart what he should do.

The first step was hard, almost trembling, as if a magnetic force was trying to push him in the other direction. The second was easier, and the third. It wasn't until the tenth step until he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. There would have to be more steps, hundreds of thousands unless he found a train to sneak into, or a compassionate trucker. San Francisco was far away after all.

'One day. I can fight it for one day.'

---

The flash of light stung at Jean's eyes when the metal sphere finally opened. After such a long time in the dark and cold, she would have been grateful to Magneto if he hadn't been the one to force her there in the first place. She emerged as proud as one can be, doing her best to show strength in front of her enemy. It was a task that was aided by the other sphere's occupants tumbling out gracelessly.

Magneto glared behind his mask at the occupants of the second sphere. "I only see one telepath."

Lance gave a defiant look towards Magneto. Nervous, but defiant nonetheless. "She said he was dead." Toad and Fred gave hurried nods.

"And you believed her?" growled Magneto, he walked over to the Brotherhood. "Did you even bother to search for him like I ordered you to?"

Toad was either brave or stupid enough to respond. "Hey man, you shoulda seen the big ass crater that those two monsters did. Ain't nobody goin' to survive that!"

Magneto kept his glare at them even when his voice was reduced to a menacing whisper. "That boy came from space and crashed into our Earth with a fist-sized scar on his chest. I saw him jump down from a skyscraper like it was nothing. He humiliated you in less than ten seconds and managed to hold himself against me. He made the Juggernaut fall on his back and then fought toe to toe with him. Do you truly believe someone like him dies so easily?" The Brotherhood stayed silent. "Get out of my sight!" he growled and the three boys scampered away from sight and then turned towards her.

Jean spoke before he managed to utter a word. "I want to see my friends. Take me to them and I will go willingly with you. I will fight if you don't."

"This way," Magneto said with what could almost be mistaken for respect. The door led to a bigger room, where she saw the rest of her team held in cylindrical glass prisons.

Immediately, she walked to Ororo, who was thankfully not conscious. "You get her out of here. She hates closed spaces. Stop torturing her." She looked peaceful now, at least.

"Everything will soon be over," drawled Magneto and signaled to an empty platform next to Kitty and the Professor, both of whom were the only ones awake. Next to Kitty was a sleeping Rogue, followed by Kurt and Logan at the end. Scott was nowhere to be seen.

'I wouldn't want to be seen either after what he just pulled,' Jean thought angrily as she stepped into the platform. Fighting would be no use now with Magneto; better to save her strength when there was a chance.

"Jean," acknowledged Professor Xavier. Their leader did his best to keep an assured look, even when the cracks in those stoic eyes were plain to see. "I am sorry that you were taken as well. Is –"

"They were lying right? There's no way he is dead… right? They have to be lying!" That had been Kitty. She had eyes for Naruto and had never made an attempt to hide it, no matter how much he pushed her away. Jean had waved it away as a simple teenage crush. Seeing Kitty now, it was perhaps a little more.

Even so, Jean had to smile at the one silver lining in all of this. "He's alive and back to normal. I hid him from the Brotherhood." Kitty let out a breath and a shaky laugh, acting as if she suddenly wasn't imprisoned in a transparent tube.

"I see. You did good, Jean." The Professor's face relaxed slightly, like that of a man who had been losing all his chess pieces only to remember that he still had a queen. Jean didn't have the heart to tell him just how badly Naruto had been when she left him. "Yes. I see… but I cannot reach him… perhaps with the one I reached before contact was severed…"

Magneto around the room with the air of a victorious king until he saw the last cylindrical prison without an occupant. "Welcome to Asteroid M – the time of salvation has come!" His eyes looked straight at the Professor. "The schism between our kind ends today, brought together – whether by free will or by force – for one common goal."

The Professor frowned. "And what goal is that, Erik? Conflict between us and the rest of humanity? Do you truly believe that will lead to a brighter future for mutants?"

"Only if we triumph, and with Asteroid M, we will triumph." He pointed towards a chamber, where a crimson miasma pulsated behind the small window. "There lies the key to our supremacy. Charles, you are well acquainted with the Gem of Cyttorak. It's how your brother unlocked his abilities, correct?" Jean never thought she'd ever seen the Professor be as angry and as afraid as he was now.

"Erik! You must not do this!"

"The Gem of Cyttorak," continued Magneto as if they weren't there, "can forcibly unlock mutant powers on those that have a dormant gift. It can also unlock the full potential of those mutants to reach their highest level."

The Professor glared. "It also causes them to become violent and erratic."

"That is why I have designed this chamber. Not only will it safely channel the Gem's power into those that enter, it also rids them of useless emotions. Here, my army will be created, one that will follow my orders without question as I lead them to glory."

"You will lead us to our doom."

Magneto glared at Professor Xavier. "And what would you do, Charles? Sit around while the humans plan our extermination? Give them time to know our weaknesses? Let them prepare for our destruction? I will take the fight to them before they even have a chance to strike. Peace between us and humanity will never come."

"You do not even give them a chance, Erik."

With a snort, Magneto looked away. "A chance for what? The day we are revealed will be the day it will begin. It will start with fear and resentment, petty things that normal people will overlook with the hope that it will get better… but it won't. Hostilities will get worse. Politicians will rise with the promise of a solution. Our kind will be classified and isolated. Fear will turn to hate, and a minority like us will have no political power. Then they will make plans for us, and those that do not overtly support it will not raise their voice in our favor. We will realize too late that we have no allies, only us and nobody else."

"What would you know about it?!" shouted Kitty. "How can you be so sure?!"

Magneto stepped towards her prison and stared at the six-pointed star that hung from Kitty's necklace. Slowly, he pulled off the sleeve of his left arm. His skin was white and still muscular, but it was marred by an almost faded tattoo. It depicted six numbers, inked in black. "I know more than you can imagine, child." If Kitty had any more protests, they died in her throat. "Now, we begin."

Two figures emerged from the doors. Boys, both sharing physical traits despite one having blonde hair and the other brown. The first one had blue eyes, the second one's were covered by ruby-tinted glasses. Scott's saddened face only looked at her direction once before turning away.

They began to plead with Scott and his brother. Neither boy responded. Magneto turned away from them and soon after, a greenish liquid emerged from the bottom of the prison she was in. She panicked and punched at the transparent walls until the liquid reached her nostrils. Holding her breath as long as she could, Jean continued to pound at her prison until the last of her oxygen gave out. To her relief, air entered her lungs as if nothing had changed. However, her eyes felt heavy and soon felt as if she hadn't slept in an entire week.

"I am sorry," said Professor Xavier. "I am sorry for dragging you into this."

Jean saw Kitty shake her head. "It's not over! Naruto is still out there. He's going to come. I know it. Naruto will come for us."

It was a comforting thought; the only one Jean could hold on to. As her eyes finally surrendered, she reached out for that part of Naruto that remained in her. It was weak as an ember, but it shone like a star in the darkness. With all her strength she held onto it, the last bit of hope they had left. Held on to it even as oblivion took her.

---

Naruto had been dreading what he would see when he returned to the Institute. In the first fantasy, he imagined they'd all glare at him and tell him to get out. Later, he conjured up an image of them still fighting against Magneto. In the worst one, he'd seen all of them dead by his hand. He didn't expect the isolation.

The building itself was lightless, as if it had been abandoned several years ago, and the broken windows did not help. Debris littered the floor, most of it chipped from the building itself. The only thing that would make people realize that it had been occupied that very morning was the lack of graffiti, and the fact that nature had not yet started its conquest over human labor.

When he passed through the doors, he saw the destruction continue over the first half of the entrance hall, then fade away at the furthest. "Jean?" he called out only to receive silence in return. "Kitty? Rogue? Kurt? Ororo? Logan?" None of the names received a response. Had they all left? Where to? Were all of them that desperate to get away as far as possible from him? With a dawning horror, he recalled the worst possibility… had he killed them all?

A noise came from the entrance, which he was thankful for. Footsteps revealed a woman in white, with dark blue skin and red hair. Naruto knew her as Mystique – Kurt's mother. Immediately, he went into a defensive stance, ignoring the sharp pain all over his body.

Mystique gave a single, mirthless scoff. "One of you got away, did you? Hmm. Magneto must be furious about it. Heh, serves him right." Naruto frowned. Wasn't she supposed to be on Magneto's team? "Drop that pose, boy. I'm not going to attack you."

"Why? I thought you were with Magneto?"

Another scoff. "A lot of good that did me. I served Magneto loyally for years and he stabs me in the back for all my effort." She looked away from him and began to walk up the stairs, towards the rooms.

"Don't you know where they are? We can go and rescue them!" Mystique gave one insignificant glance at him.

"It is hopeless, boy."

"You don't know that!"

A glare and bared teeth accompanied her answer. "They are in space. Do you happen to have a direct line to NASA? Even then, it matters little. Magneto will destroy the metal inside the space vessel as soon as it comes close to the asteroid. There is nothing you can do except run away before he comes to try and capture you again." She disappeared into the halls.

Naruto found her where he least expected her – Kitty and Rogue's room. She was sitting on Rogue's bed, lightly passing her hand through the green necklace he'd gifted her, then picked up a photograph and looked at it, completely ignoring his presence.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. Entering the girls' rooms was not something he did every day, even Kitty's. For privacy reasons, he'd always been told, despite the fact that they violated that agreement when it was the men's rooms. Especially Kitty. A heavy weight settled in his heart as he remembered his friends.

Mystique didn't glance away from the picture. "She is my daughter." Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Not by birth, but I raised her, even if she didn't know it. I found Anna Marie alone and took care of her ever since. Magneto told me that she wouldn't go through the process like the rest… he lied."

Anna Marie? Was that Rogue's true name? Naruto felt his boot touch something – Rogue's photo album. Not a lot of pages were filled, though the few that were told a story. The first few only had her, wearing a plain face and nothing else. Then Naruto entered the pictures and she started to show small smiles. After that entered Kitty, and Rogue smiles now showed white teeth. Then came in Ororo and Jean, and later the rest of the team. The final picture was all of them together, and Rogue's smile finally reached her eyes.

"I won't do it," said Naruto and Mystique finally looked at him. "I won't stay here and do nothing! Not while my friends are still out there! Even if you give up, I won't!"

He ran to his room and changed into a spare uniform, making doubly sure that he was carrying no metals. Throbbing pain pulsated all across his body as he stepped out into the entrance hall. It would not stop him, nor would Mystique's words. Slow footsteps approached behind him.

"Did you not hear me? You will not be able to touch him. He's on an asteroid circling around Earth's orbit. Are you really going to toss away the chance you have been given? Leave, you imbecile!"

"I will not! Listen to me, I don't care if I have to jump to the damn asteroid, I'm going to save my friends!"

Mystique laughed mockingly. "Oh, this I have to see. I've met my share of stubborn morons during my life, but you're something else. Go on, then. Let's see how you're going to get there before Magneto starts their transformation. Do you happen to have a metal-free spaceship hidden around here?"

"That's exactly what we have."

Both Naruto and Mystique whipped their heads to where they heard the voice. Coming in through the entrance, was a man with the body of a football quarterback but Naruto knew that he was just as good in science as he was with sports.

"Hank-sensei?" Had it not been for the fact that he was a long way from other shinobi – or Mystique being right beside him – Naruto would've been convinced that this was a doppelganger. "What are you doing here, sensei?"

Hank gave a tired chuckle. "Who do you think designed and built the Mansion's defenses, the Danger Room, and the Blackbird?" he asked with a smile.

"You made them?" He knew Hank was a great teacher, but he imagined the X-Men's equipment being made by Professor Xavier's government contacts. The Blackbird was the work of genius; technology that even the military didn't have on their hands. It could rival even some of Tony Stark's works… all done by Hank McCoy? The science and PE teacher of a private high school? "How do you know the Professor? Do you… know?"

"I know," said Hank, "I am one."

Naruto felt his eyes widen. "The Professor never told me."

Hank nodded. "Not many know, aside from him and Logan. It's what I asked for, to remain anonymous. That is only one part of it. I've made experiments to keep this form for as long as I can." He gave a moan. "It's going to be hard to return to be a normal human after today… but I owe Charles this much."

From his coat, Hank took out a syringe and injected it to his arm. At first there was nothing. Then, a wince, and then another and another, followed by a groan of pain. Slowly, his skin started to shift and bulge, his body becoming larger than it already was. The hair all over his body grew longer, and then turned blue, along with the parts of skin that were left. In the end, he looked almost like a gorilla, but with a very human head.

"Well, it's been a while since I've been like this. Time to get used to it for a little while." The words came with the same tone as before. Naruto had almost expected an animalistic grunt, if words would even come out at all. Hank looked at the mirror and sighed. "'A man cannot destroy the savage in him by denying its impulses. They only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.' Now am I still a Dr. Jekyll, or will I become Mr. Hyde?"

"Professor McCoy?" asked Naruto.

Hank nodded. "I was once called 'Beast'. A fitting name, don't you think?" He stood as straight as his new back would allow. "Now, I think it's time to rescue our good friends, is it not?" Naruto nodded so fiercely he thought his neck would break.

Mystique scoffed again. "Another fool."

Instead of looking insulted, Beast gave a smile entirely too human for his form. "Ah! 'The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.' And today's fools are tomorrow's geniuses. Come with me." He led them down to the basement like it was his home. If what he said had been true, it might as well be. When they reached the hangar, they saw the Blackbird, undisturbed by the earlier fighting.

"I told you that whatever metal hunk of garbage you decide to travel in, Magneto will destroy before you even manage to land."

Hank gave a patient sigh. "Please wait until you see what my plan is. You know I don't just rush into trouble with blinders on, Raven."

Naruto frowned. Did they know each other? He knew that Professor Xavier knew Mystique, and Hank knew the Professor from a long time ago. Also, Professor Xavier knew Magneto. What past did they all share?

"A cautious fool is still a fool," responded Mystique with a sneer. "Unless you find a way to cancel Magneto's powers, this rescue is a futile errand."

"Oh!" Naruto tapped the bottom of his fist against his palm and both of them looked at him. "Wait a minute!" He inspected the two of them. "Blue skin… and they're both fighting… just like Shikamaru's parents… aha!" Naruto pointed a finger at Hank. "You're Kurt's dad!" There was a harsh slap at the back of his head. "Geh!"

"Moron!" spat Mystique.

"I'm afraid not," said Hank and then went to the hangar's operating room. After starting up the system, he entered some code commands and then the ground below them started to shift. The metal floor suddenly opened up and another ship rose to take its place beside the Blackbird.

It was smaller than the Blackbird, and the rotor on its back and at its sides made it look like a cross between a jet and a helicopter. It was painted the same shade of black as the Blackbird, and had the X-Men logo proudly painted on its wings. Yet despite these similarities, Naruto couldn't help but feel that it was different from other aircraft he'd seen.

"Another ship? That's your plan?" mocked Mystique. "At first I thought only your brain was missing. Apparently the same can be said about your ears."

Hank gave her a grin. "Look at it again."

Naruto approached the aircraft and touched it. It wasn't as cold as he thought it would be, which was odd. Usually metal got cold when it was not near heat, and given that it had been underground in the tail end of winter, he was surprised with how it was almost tepid at the touch. His eyes suddenly widened. "It's not metal."

"Correct," stated Hank, his grin widening. "Charles knew that the Blackbird could be a deathtrap if he went to Magneto with it, so we started working on an alternative. It took me many years, and many failures, but finally we have completed the prototype X-Velocity – a space-worthy ship completely devoid of metals." While Naruto looked at it in awe, Mystique glared at Hank.

"Prototype, you say? Do you plan to fly us into space with a ship that hasn't even been tested yet?"

Hank looked at Naruto. "That depends on what our team leader asks."

She followed his gaze back to Naruto. "Him? Team leader? What nonsense are you talking?" she asked in equal parts confusion and anger.

"I only take orders from Charles, and he is the head of the X-Men. There's a chain of command after him, which I imagine is young Scott Summers. Alas, he is gone as well. Since there's only one member in sight, he is the leader."

Mystique glared. "You cannot be serious?!"

Naruto pumped his fist. "Yosh! We set out immediately! There's little time to waste!"

The grin on Hank's face turned serious. "Without reinforcements?"

"We can't waste any time. Magneto could be doing something terrible to them. We go now!" He jumped on the ship and then looked behind him sheepishly. "Ehh… can you pilot this thing?"

Hank sighed. "Now it is then." He entered the cockpit and settled on the pilot's seat. "I suggest you put on your seatbelt and hang tight."

Just as the door was beginning to close, Mystique jumped at the last moment and elegantly sat down on the co-pilot's seat. "Somebody has to supervise the two of you."

Naruto grinned and pointed at the exit. "Let's go!"

The X-Velocity was not as stable as the Blackbird. More than once he saw a concerned look on Hank's when a particularly violent bit of turbulence hit them. Eventually, he felt his head being squeezed as they passed by the highest clouds, until the only thing in front of them were the miniscule lights of the stars surrounded by a sea of night.

"Space," proclaimed Hank, "the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship X-Velocity. Its one-day mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!"

Naruto chuckled. Hank often trailed off in class with a quote of some famous writer. "Shakespeare again?" That one was quoted the most.

"No. Star Trek." He looked at Naruto's confused stare. "Don't tell me you've never heard of Star Trek?"

The blonde shrugged. "Not from around here."

"Well, we're going to have to sort that out when we get back. I assume you've already read those Dickens and Fitzgerald books I lent you?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile. "Ah… you can see that I'm a busy guy."

"Be careful not to waste your potential, Mr. Uzumaki. A boy with your talents can reach very high, and it would be a shame to see that squandered." He looked at Naruto with serious eyes. "You better prepare now. We'll be at the enemy base in less than five minutes."

Nodding, Naruto went back to the small cabin where Mystique with one leg crossed over the other, sporting her ever-present glare. He sat opposite to her and did his best to heal himself with the Mystical Palm. It barely worked despite the training the Sage had forced him to do, but at least the pain had lessened.

Suddenly, Mystique broke the silence. "Why do you care so much?"

"What do you mean?"

Mystique's yellow eyes bore into him. "Why do you care so much about them? You have only known Anna Marie for less than a year. Is that enough for you to risk your life for her and the X-Men? What is the reason for this selflessness?" she scoffed. "Did you even know her real name?"

He laughed mirthlessly. "I'm not selfless. Saving them is the most selfish thing I could ever do." He met her prodding yellow eyes with his own. "Do you know what it's like to be alone? Truly alone?" She did not answer. "I was alone for most of my life. I wasn't beaten or abused or anything… they just acted like I never existed. Like I wasn't there. Sometimes, I wondered if people could even see me. The only times I realized I was a real person was when they yelled at me to get away whenever I came close. Why did I exist? Why was I here? Those were the questions I always asked myself."

"Being alone is worse than being dead. Dead people are remembered: their graves are visited; their memory lives in those that cared for them. If they were really important, they even make monuments to make sure their deeds are never forgotten. But being alone means that nobody is there to care about you, nobody to carry on your will or remember what you were. You're not even truly alive."

"That's why I have to save them. Even if they hate me, I will still save them! Because they need to be there so that I can exist! If they're not there, then there never was a Naruto Uzumaki! I don't care if I die, but I want to exist!"

For just a moment, Mystique's yellow eyes flinched as he stared her down. "As for Rogue. That is the name she chose and the one she gave me. She likes that name. Are you sure you're not the one that doesn't know her?" She glared at him. "Anna Marie, Rogue. Either way, she is the same person I'm saving, and I'll always be there for her. That's a promise. And I never break my promises."

Mystique sat quiet for a moment and then let out a quiet huff. "You are a fool, boy. An innocent, ignorant, idealistic fool..." Trailing off, he could only barely hear her next words. "So much like someone else I know…"

"Naruto!" Hank called from the cockpit. "We're here!" Both he and Mystique rushed to see their destination. At first it looked like a giant piece of rock, until he saw the irregular structures arrayed around it. It looked almost like a mansion built both outside and inside the asteroid, made completely out of metal. From the windows he saw white lights, and a crimson red miasma pulsated from the center of the structure.

Hank surveyed the asteroid for a few silent seconds. "Alright, if they haven't noticed us, we can land at the far end of the asteroid. From my readings, it seems that there is artificial oxygen so we can exit. One of us will have to guard the Velocity. It's our only way back. Now, let us approach silently."

"Too late," said Mystique, pointing at two figures coming out of the entrance. They looked very similar to one another, and they attacked in perfect synchronization. One of them shot a bright energy out of his hands, the other shot it from his eyes.

Naruto widened his eyes. "Scott?" But it didn't look like Scott, with broader shoulders and white hair, and he was not wearing the glasses that kept his powers in check. Shaking off his shock, Naruto turned to Hank. "Land the ship. I'll keep them off you!" He ignored the shouts of protests and jumped from the ship as soon as they entered the atmosphere. The two boys retreated back into the building and the metal gate closed as he got near.

He heard a landing next to him. Mystique stretched from her crouching position with a cat-like grace. "Magneto is mine!" she growled, running towards one of the windows.

She could have Magneto all day. That wasn't what Naruto was here for. He ran towards the gate and slapped a dozen paper bombs into the entrance, then jumped back to avoid the massive explosion that rocked the entire asteroid. He took a last look at the Velocity landing safely on the ground and then charged inside to meet the Brotherhood.

They were all assembled, minus Quicksilver. In his place were the two newcomers, their faces completely devoid of emotions. The same could not be said of Avalanche, Toad, and Blob. The former two already had swollen faces where angry red spots were beginning to form and Blob was looking at him while his whole body trembled.

Naruto sighed. "Do you want to do this again?" The original Brotherhood looked at the ground, but the newer ones were unfazed. "I'm not here for you. Get out of my way and I won't have to beat you again."

Toad was the first to shrug. "Aight." He jumped out of his way. "Ain't worth it when Magneto's already thinkin' of dumping us."

There was a ferocious tremble that nearly made him tumble. "Toad!" spat Avalanche.

Toad shrugged again. "What? I signed up with Magneto for respect and chicks, not to go to war. And I didn't even get the respect and chicks. What has Magneto done for me?"

The answer came not from Avalanche, but from one of the white-haired mutants. "Magneto has offered us power and a chance to evolve to our fullest potential. We will fight for him." The voice was one Naruto knew, but on another face.

"Scott?" The mutant gave only the slightest nod of acknowledgment. "So… it really is you. What do you think you're doing?"

Scott furrowed his brows. "I am doing what is best for the team. With Magneto's help, I have shattered all the chains that were holding me down. No more training, no more hardships, and no more seeing the world in shades of red. Now, I have the skills to become the leader the X-Men truly deserve."

"To serve who? Magneto? Does Professor Xavier agree with this? Does Ororo? Does Jean?"

A grimace broke Scott's stone face. "They will see it soon once they've been re-educated to see the future that awaits us." There was hesitation in his face, something left of the Scott that Naruto knew.

"Magneto has done something to you. I don't know what, but I'm going to snap you out of it." 'Unlike Sasuke, I can beat him.' He summoned as many clones as the corridor could fit and disappeared into them while they swarmed Scott, extinguishing into smoke when they came into contact with his crimson beams. It soon created a fog all over the place, enough for him to slip to the ceiling and then down to Scott, ready to knock him out with a single strike.

Pain slammed at his side, and as if hit by a wall, he was thrown away from his target. Naruto stood up to see the other mutant with his hands pointing at him. "Alex? Scott's brother?" There was no confirmation, but Naruto needed none. Scott finished shooting at the clones and then glared at him.

"Don't underestimate me anymore more, Naruto. I am stronger! Stop looking down on me!" This was the first time Naruto had heard him truly be angry at someone. Usually, Scott was just angry with himself.

Naruto grit his teeth. "Fine. I'll take you seriously, Scott. Because I can't spend any more time with you." He activated his eyes and charged at the brothers, side-stepping their attacks with relative ease. He hit Alex right on the liver and he went down with a whine, then dodged one last shot from Scott before kicking him on the chest.

He looked down at the two brothers to see if he'd done more damage than intended. They were moaning and holding their stomachs, but otherwise fine. Turning towards the spectators, he asked, "Do you want to be next?"

Avalanche kept the look of someone that had smelled an open sewer but merely turned to his still conscious team. "We're going back home." They ran down the hangar and out of his sight.

Wheezing, Scott managed to get to his knees. "You beat me again. No matter how hard I try," he punched the ground, "I'm always behind you. Why?"

"Because I want to save my friends." His eyes met Scott and offered a hand. "Will you help me save them?"

Taking his hand, Scott got up and gave him a grim face. "I can't go back there. Magneto… he did something to me. My mind… if he tells me to shoot you again, I'd do it." He sighed. "I've failed the team again."

Naruto shook his head. "You can still help. Go and help Professor McCoy defend the ship until I return."

There was a last moment of hesitation for Scott, but it didn't last long. With a nod, he grabbed his brother and carried him back to the hole in the entrance. Once he disappeared, Naruto turned back to the opposite end of the hallway and sprinted, eyes activated and waiting for whatever laid at the other side of the door.

It was a brightly lit room, but almost completely barren. The walls and floor were the same drab gray metal as before while the ceiling was simply the stone of the asteroid itself. Computers were arrayed against the walls, flashing yellow and red lights, and there were several doors like the one he'd come from. One of them, however, was like a circular vault door with a single small window on it, where the source of the crimson miasma danced like an ethereal hellish fire.

At the center of the room, in cylindrical prisons, laid X-Men.

Before doing anything else, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief to see that all of them were there, and none looked unharmed. None were conscious, and were floating in some sort of green liquid. Rushing to the controls at the side, Naruto pressed several buttons randomly until the prisons started to drain the liquid and open them one by one.

Logan was the first to be released, dropping to the ground with a groan. The same happened with Kurt; the Professor just went limp in his chair. By the time Rogue's prison opened, Naruto realized what was happening and reached to grab her before she dropped to the ground, then did the same for Kitty, Ororo, and Jean, who was the last.

Green eyes opened and looked at him. "Naruto?" she groaned as she tried to move her body. "Is that you?"

Naruto smiled. "Who else could it be?"

Jean chuckled weakly. "You really did come. I reached out for you… yet I never thought you would listen?"

He nodded. "I listened." He helped her stand up, summoning a few clones to do the same for the others.

Either the liquid or some other thing in the prison must have weakened them greatly. Even Logan, after proudly refusing the clone's help at first, accepted the aid to stand up and take a few, wobbly steps. Kurt was perched on the back of another clone, while both Rogue and Kitty opted for a princess-carry. Ororo smiled at him and lay on the clone's back in a fireman position. Professor Xavier only had to have his wheelchair moved.

The Professor nodded. "I am glad that Jean was able to reach you, even in our weakened states. Thankfully, you managed to control…" he trailed off and silence settled in the room.

The look was there, in all of their faces, even if for just a moment. Fear. Naruto felt like a knife was being plunged at his chest. 'That's right. They know now, and they're afraid of you.' The smile he made started to ache.

Metal doors slid open with a hissing sound, and footsteps on the metal ground heralded Magneto's entrance. "It appears that I didn't even need to look for you, Naruto Uzumaki. I'll admit that you surprised me with your ship, but now all the cards are in my hand."

He gave Magneto a pair of defiant eyes. "I will not serve you."

"No… you will not," came the cold response. "A boy that came from space not one year ago, and could do that much damage to Pietro. A boy who managed to fight against the Juggernaut on equal terms. A boy with incredible powers I have yet to comprehend. So young and with such strength… I'm afraid I cannot let someone like you live."

"Erik," warned Professor Xavier. "You will not threaten my students."

Magneto ignored him. "You understand, don't you? For me to lead our kind to a great future, I must be absolute in my authority. Power is authority, and I cannot let someone as powerful as you live and challenge me. You must die before you have a chance to gain more power."

Suddenly, the vault door opened, and a wave of thick crimson fog poured out. A figure stepped into the room, and it took Naruto a moment to realize it was Sabretooth. He looked even more feral than before, with actual saber-like teeth worthy of his name.

"Two against one," said Magneto. "It might be a stain on the history of my leadership, yet I must win this battle. History will always be written by the victor either way." They both made ready to attack when an ear-splitting siren thundered inside the room.

"WARNING! EMERGENCY SEQUENCE INITIATED! THE FACILITY WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN FIVE MINUTES!"

For once, Magneto lost his composure and rushed to see the security cameras. One of the screens showed Mystique typing on a computer with a smug smirk. He turned to Sabretooth. "Kill her!" Sabretooth snarled and looked at Wolverine. "Now!" growled Magneto. Sabretooth obeyed, giving a glare to Wolverine as he left.

Magneto looked at Naruto again. "You against me once again. This time, I won't hold back."

"My life for their life," Naruto smirked, "it sounds like a fair trade."

"No!" cried Kitty and the rest soon followed.

Naruto turned to his clones. "Take them to the ship and tell Hank to leave immediately. I'll stay behind to cover your escape." More protests erupted from the team. He looked at their faces one last time. Sad looks; better than fear. If this was the last he saw of them, it wouldn't be too bad to have those faces to remember. "Goodbye." They were too weak to resist his clones carrying them away. He ignored the protests until the closing door and the blaring alarms drowned their voices.

Magneto flicked his wrist and showed him a set of keys. "For my ship. The winner takes them. Or… you could just get out of my way and I'll give them to you. Either way, it's our only ticket back to Earth."

With a joyless chuckle, Naruto said. "I'll take them from you, but I won't go back to Earth. I'll use it to return to where I belong." He went into a battle stance. "But before I go, I'll make sure you can't get to them!"

"WARNING! FOUR MINUTES TO SELF-DESTRUCT!"

Metal equipment from all around the room was immediately ripped off from the walls and from the floor to be launched at Naruto. Several floor tiles encircled Magneto as a shield while the equipment was sent towards him. Naruto dodged it easily enough and summoned a few clones, using one to make a Rasengan.

Objects flew from every direction, and every second a clone turned to smoke. He went by the flank, with his hand outstretched to connect with Magneto's rib. At the last moment, a tile interfered and the Rasengan turned it into shrapnel. Another tile was ripped from the floor to guard Magneto, while the shrapnel came to life against Naruto.

A couple of times, he tried to flicker close to Magneto, and every time, a tile was there to protect his sides and back, while the shrapnel danced around him every time he appeared. Each attack only earned him another nick on his flesh.

With every dodge, every punch, and every step, Naruto felt his body become heavier. He still had not recovered after the fight against Juggernaut. Exhaustion was ripping through him, and Magneto seemed to notice it, being on the defensive and content to let Naruto wear himself out.

"WARNING! THREE MINUTES TO SELF-DESTRUCT!"

Trying to fight against Magneto physically was useless, Naruto realized. He would just keep protecting himself and hurling metal at him. There was little doubt that Magneto had other means of escaping at the last second and leave Naruto to die in the asteroid. If he wanted to end it, he would have to do it a different way.

His mind concentrated on a single presence that was going away with every passing second. It was Jean, or at least the part of her that never left his mind no matter how far she went. He focused on her and only on her, while his eyes looked at Magneto's shield, then, when his mind was completely cleared, he attacked.

Magneto pushed his hands forward, his eyes widened when the metal did not move. Then, he found himself on the defensive. The tiles began to tremble in place, getting more violent with every passing second until they began to break into smaller pieces of shrapnel. Some got closer to Magneto while others sped all the way to him, only stopping when they were inches away from his eyes.

Naruto felt his head begin to swell; his whole body shook uncontrollably. He felt blood starting to pour out of his nose and the siren was drowned by a ringing in his ears. The sharp point of the metal was inching closer to his eyes but he concentrated on the ones close to Magneto. One of them he hadn't seen prodded against his cheek until it drew blood. He barely noticed that another tore past his shirt, and pierced the skin atop his heart.

He closed his eyes and remembered what he was concentrating on. Jean, and his friends. He felt them leaving now. 'Go! Leave while I hold him!' Jean did not want to go. "Leave!" he told her. "Go back home!" Pain flashed on many parts of his body. The dagger at his cheeks reached his teeth, another at his stomach, and one between the ribs. Then there was the one at his heart: it had dug deep, very close to its target. When Naruto opened his eyes, he saw only the last piece, barely scratching against his pupil.

But Magneto was grimacing too. One had pierced his shoulder and another at his leg, while a particularly small but sharp one was drawing blood from the throat. It was close. So close… just one final push.

A blur of blue and white came, and an explosion rocked the room.

"WARNING! TWO MINUTES TO SELF-DESTRUCT!"

Both opponents were blown out of their concentration. Metal shrapnel dropped to the ground like puppets with cut strings. Pain throbbed all over Naruto's body: from the fight with Juggernaut, from the Kyūbi's burns, from the exhaustion, and from drawing too much power out of his mind. He tried to move around shakily to see Magneto in the same situation, and Mystique standing between them.

"I told you," she said to Naruto, "that he was mine to kill."

His legs were wobbled when he stood up. "I have to fight him!"

Mystique glared at him. "That's not what you came for, remember?"

Naruto shook his head. "The X-Men are rescued."

"I see one of them right before me."

"To give them time to escape. That's why I stayed. He wants to kill me, not them. And I will gladly give my life for them. Go while I hold him back! My duty is done!"

"Fool!" spat Mystique, yellow eyes piercing into his soul. "Your duty is not yet done. Do you not remember your oath? You told me that you would be there for Anna Marie. So I ask again – why are you here?"

An image flashed inside Naruto. Rogue… she would be sad if he died, wouldn't she? He had promised to keep her safe, and to find a solution to her powers. Was he truly breaking his promise? "I…"

"You do not break your promises, remember? And you made a promise to me, and to her. Keep her safe. Be there for her… or I will haunt you, fool boy." She pushed him back towards the exit. "Go! Go now!"

'Yes,' Naruto remembered. 'I have to be there for them. Even if they hate me… even if they don't want me. I have to be there for them.' A newfound energy found his spent body. Only one last glance was spared to Magneto and then he ran.

"WARNING! SIXTY SECONDS TO SELF-DESTRUCT!"

When Naruto emerged outside, he quickly searched for where he'd seen the ship. It was not there. His stomach dropped again as his brain went into overdrive. Had they really left him? What should he do? How had the Brotherhood escaped? Should he go back to try and get Magneto's ship? Was it too late?"

"Naruto!"

As soon as Naruto looked above, he saw the X-Velocity, with Jean looking at him. Meteorites were dancing all over the asteroid. Those that were going at the ship were being shot at by Scott and Alex until they crumbled to small pebbles. Jean stretched her arm at him, despite the distance between them.

"Hurry! We don't have much time! Fly to us, Naruto!"

Flight. It was a power that he hadn't mastered yet, and the only thing that would save him. He jumped, floated for a few inches, and then dropped to ground again. Again, he jumped, and again he plummeted. An explosion rocked the asteroid, and pushed his whole body down.

"Naruto!" Jean's soothing voice rang in his head, drowning the chaos around him. "Listen to me. Forget about everything and just focus on me. You can do it! Take my hand!" When he jumped again, it almost felt as if a pair of hands were supporting him. He floated for a few seconds, waiting for the fall… it did not come.

"Fly to us!" He saw Jean stretch his hand out to him. Ororo, Kitty, Rogue, and Kurt were behind her, all of them stretching their fingers. "Take my hand!"

He thought only of them, heard only Jean's voice, and his body felt light as a feather. Closer and closer he got, until he was only a few feet away. "I'm coming… I'm coming…" A massive explosion made him stumble. A brief look behind and he saw a couple of metal pods shooting from the asteroid as it went in flames.

Suddenly, he couldn't breathe, and his head felt as if it was being squeezed. A fog of darkness settled in Naruto's sight, and every movement felt he was struggling against a river 'I'm dying.'

"Naruto!" Jean was still there, green eyes desperate. It wasn't just her – all of the team was shouting at him, encouraging him, holding out their hands. "Come to us! Take my hand!"

A final push was all it took, and Naruto flew like he'd been fired out of a cannon, straight into the ship, and to many pairs of arms that broke his fall. Air entered his lungs painfully. His sight was still darkening, and the hands were nothing but a numb pressure all over his body.

"You did it!" cried Jean. Other voices joined her but Naruto barely heard the words. He allowed himself one last look at the team. Rogue was indeed crying, but tears of joy, the same tears as Kitty and Jean. Ororo was hugging him close to her body, while Kurt grasped his crucifix between his hands in gratitude.

"I'm… here…" he moaned and then passed out into a blissful sleep.

---

Naruto's eyes opened to a gentle light and a comfortable bed that wasn't his own. As his vision got clearer, he started to recognize the medical room of the Institute's underground, with its drab metal walls that almost made him think that he was back at the asteroid. But there were things that made him feel at ease: the presents at his bedside, the get-well balloons around him, and the pressure of Kitty's body at his side.

The gifts ranged from flowers from girls he didn't even know but made a mental note to thank, to books from the school clubs he belonged to, and some chocolates, all of them accompanied by a get-well card. There was even one from Susan Storm, who wished him well on behalf of the Fantastic Four.

There was a movement at his side. Kitty was sleeping as she usually did, enveloped against his arm and using his shoulder as a pillow. Barely a noise came out except for the slightest whisper of breaths. She looked completely fine, even the bruises she got during her fight in the Stark Tower were gone.

'How long have I been asleep?' Gently, he started to nudge her. "Kitty?"

She moaned and snuggled deeper. "Hmm… yes sir… I deserve the paddle… I've been bad." A disturbing giggle erupted from her lips. Eventually the nudges were able to wake her up. It took a few seconds for her to get out of her sleepy haze. "You're awake!"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah. How long have I –" He was interrupted by a full body hug. Kitty buried her head on his chest.

"Thank God! I thought that… when we took off, I thought that…" He felt his shirt get wet and panicked about what he should do. Settling, for just caressing the back of her head, Naruto waited until she calmed down.

"I've survived worse things than Juggernaut and Magneto."

Kitty looked up to him. "Guess that's to be expected. But you've never told us. I don't want to interrogate you or anything… but all of us have been asking ourselves the same questions. You don't have to hide anything from us."

He nodded slowly. "I know, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you." There was a hissing sound and the door opened.

"Hey, Kitty. It's my turn now to watch him." Rogue's eyes widened once she saw him awake. She rushed over to him and also gave him a hug. "Ah'm going to tell everyone!" She left as speedily as she came, returning with many other pairs of footsteps.

The one to speak first was Kurt. "Wunderbar, mein Freund! I have dedicated prayers for you the last three days. You finally awaken!"

"Three days!" yelled Naruto, everyone bursting into laughter. Ororo had a small smile for him; Jean's was bigger. Scott couldn't look into his eyes. Approval shone in Logan's nod while the Professor, behind his smile, was clearly brimming with questions for him.

"I… uh… I guess I owe you some answers, don't I?"

Professor Xavier shook his head. "You don't need to tell us until you are ready." Naruto could tell that his words did not reflect his true feelings.

Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, Naruto said, "I will tell you."

"Well, you don't have to tell us now," interjected Jean firmly. "Three days may have passed, but you still need more rest. It's best to tell us when you're out of bed." She sent a firm stare to the rest of the team that shut down any protest.

Logan grunted and made to walk away, not before giving a glance to Naruto. "You did good, brat." Kurt gave him a long blue thumbs up and then teleported away. Scott avoided his gaze and slid away silently.

The Professor gave him a nod. "It's good that you're back with us, Naruto. As you can see, we are all thankful for your actions. Just one more hour of hesitation on your part and Magneto would have done unspeakable things to us. We have all been worried, especially Kitty and Rogue. They have barely left your side if they could help it." Kitty and Rogue went red in the face as he left.

Ororo stepped forth and hugged him lightly. "I am indebted to you. Just imagining the horrors of what I would have been forced to do… I thank the Goddess for the day I met you, and will continue to do so from this day forward."

Kitty and Rogue didn't look like they were ready to go until Jean politely asked them to. They nodded hesitantly and walked out. Jean waited a few seconds in silence after the door closed behind them and then turned towards Naruto with an unreadable expression.

"Naruto Uzumaki." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are without a doubt, the most knuckleheaded, reckless, densest, most brash person I have ever met in my life." Closing her eyes for a second, she took a deep breath. "And you're also the bravest, noblest, and most outstanding man I've ever met." Her hug was tight but also the most heartfelt of them all. "I'm sorry for how I've been treating you. If only I had known…"

He let her hug him as long as she wanted to. "You were the one who helped me, right? When I was…" She didn't deny it. "I knew it was you. It's all so fuzzy but I remember you."

"I had to help you," said Jean, her mouth quivering. "I saw things about you." She saw his alarmed face. "Don't worry. It's not something I will reveal to anyone. Our minds are our most sacred part. What I'm trying to say is… I am connected to you now, and you to me. It's how I managed to pull you away from that fox, and… well the same goes for you. This link is going to be hard to get rid of, and… um… you may find many things about me as well in the coming days."

Naruto made an understanding nod. "I won't tell anyone."

Jean gave him a small smile. Small, but sincere. "Thank you." She stood up and got ready to walk away. "If you ever need to talk to anyone, I will listen to you."

"I… want to ask you something." She nodded and sat back on the seat next to his bed. "I'm sorry I never told you about any of this. It's just that… well if you saw things, then you know what it's like. And uh… if you don't want me around, then I understand."

A warm hand enveloped his. "Naruto, look at me," Jean said gently but firmly. "Please listen to me because I will only say this once." Her green eyes did not let him look away. A tear rolled out her eye and his own eyes went blurry. "You are not a monster. Do you understand?"

Naruto gave a shaky nod.

Jean wiped her cheek and smiled. "Good. Now get some rest. You're going to need it before Kitty and Rogue decide to come over again."

As she left, Naruto couldn't help but frown. There was something different that he'd never seen in her before. He pondered it all throughout the day until, as he lay ready to sleep, realization finally dawned on him.

She was wearing the necklace.

He was practically forced to stay in bed for another four days, despite feeling fine after the first. Meals were accompanied by homework, and for each day, it seemed someone else had taken a turn to cook. Ororo made him mostly salads with grilled chicken that tasted all right. Jean continued with the healthy options, though did make sure to make him big portions and sneak in more meat.

The one time that Kitty cooked, he had to struggle to swallow the flavorless burnt brisket down his throat. Jean took mercy on him when Kitty walked away for a few minutes and disposed of the plate. That day, he realized just why she'd been banned from the kitchen. The best was undoubtedly Rogue. Turns out living on your own with a blind woman as a caretaker forces you to become a good cook. And she knew just what he liked: spicy fried chicken, po'boys, and pulled pork sandwiches, just to name a few.

When he was finally cleared of everything, the first thing Naruto did was make a request to the Professor for everyone to meet in the conference room. Finally, he had decided to tell them everything. If they rejected him, then that would be that. At least he would no longer live in constant fear of rejection.

Silence was the first thing that awaited him as he entered the room. That, and eight pairs of eyes that were fixed on him. With his heart hammering against his chest, Naruto went to his seat and opened his mouth, only to close it. He repeated the action several times, trying to find the words to say and when to start.

Finally, a mirthless chuckle left his lips. "Where to start? Well… I guess it really started the day I was born…"

He started telling the story with a few hiccups, and his tongue slipped every other word. By the time he'd finished talking about what the Kyūbi was and moved into growing up in Konoha, Naruto couldn't stop talking. Word after word spilled from his lips. He told them about shinobi and the Hokage, and about the five great nations. He told them about his team and Jiraiya, and the missions he had taken with them, and of Orochimaru and Akatsuki. None of them ever interrupted him, though more than once he saw eyes widen in disbelief. Finally, he told them of his final mission, the fight with Sasuke, and ending up here.

"That's the truth." He had skipped a few details, and not talked about the Sage at all, but all that was important was said. "I can understand if you want me to go. Usually I can keep it under control. When I become angry, though, the Kyūbi starts to take over. When I saw Ororo scream – I lost it."

Professor Xavier was the first to speak. "Well, I won't lie and say this doesn't present a problem." Naruto turned his gaze to the ground. "But this is why I built the Institute, so that I can help with situations like this. Our doors are always open to you, Naruto. We are all grateful for trusting us with this." He looked around the table. "I believe none of us will reveal this secret to others unless given permission." Nobody argued otherwise.

Naruto allowed himself a wide smile, bright as the sun. No more words needed to be said and he was the first to exit the conference room.

"By the way, Naruto," called Professor Xavier, "there's something you should know."

Before Naruto had the chance to hear anything else, he felt someone bump into him. He quickly looked down to see a girl even shorter than Kitty. She had short black hair and was wearing a yellow trench coat that covered most of her petite body. Pink glasses almost hid a pair of slanted eyes that were looking at him with alarm.

She quickly popped the bubble gum she was chewing. "Oof! Sorry about that!" Then she sprinted away to the entrance hall.

Naruto looked at the rest of the amused team. "Who was that?" The answer came in several noises from the mansion grounds.

His eyes met a group of teenagers, boys and girls, and all of them showing off some kind of power. There was a blonde boy with short hair that was showing off an ice sculpture to a pair of girls. The first one had short, dark red hair and later turned into a wolf. The other girl was also blonde and summoned magma from her hands to melt the statue. A dark-skinned, dark haired boy laughed at both of them and then his body went completely black, with a bright orange outline shimmering around him. Then, the girl that stumbled onto him went to them and threw fireworks from the tips of her hands and into the air.

There were others that were not so eager to show off. Two girls, one Native American, who sat cross-legged on the grass, and the other had very similar facial characteristics to Fireworks-Girl. The last one he saw was a tall, slim yet muscular looking blonde boy, who was content with watching the others.

The Professor rolled his wheelchair beside him and smiled at the sight. "We have new students at the Institute," he said proudly.

Throughout the day, Naruto learnt their names. The blonde with ice powers was Bobby Drake, and Naruto almost growled when he gave an ice flower to Kitty. Rahne Sinclair was from Scotland, and she could turn into a wolf. Roberto Da Costa and Amara Aquilla were both from Brazil, while Sam Guthrie was from a small mining town in Kentucky.

Fireworks-Girl was called Jubilation Lee, though she insisted on being called Jubilee. She had been an orphan, making a living by showing off her powers to impressionable kids at the malls. Kitty and Rogue had been the ones to recruit her. The most distant ones were definitely Danielle Moonstar, another telepath, and Xi'an Coy Manh, a girl from Vietnam.

The team had been busy while he'd been sleeping.

After a brief introduction and supper, Naruto was ready to retire to his room for the night. He wondered if Spider-Man and Daredevil thought he'd ditched on them after being gone for over a week. 'Well, tomorrow it's back to normal. Peter will understand.' As he was thinking of an excuse for Daredevil, he opened the door and was met with Kitty sitting on his bed.

"Kitty? What are you doing here?" asked Naruto.

She breathed in deeply. "I knew there was more to you than what meets the eye. It's just that I didn't know how much there truly was to you."

Naruto nodded. "Now you know why I rejected you."

To his surprise, she just laughed and gave him a playful grin. "Don't care." She walked over to him and grabbed his hands. "Was that the reason? It had nothing to do with me? Because I don't care."

Kami, just looking into her blue eyes was starting to make his heart pump so hard that he thought it was going to explode. "I can't. You know why I can't. Any moment… I could snap and hurt you. You know now what's inside me." He looked away from her. He had to. Before he did something stupid. But Kitty did not let him escape.

"Listen to me," she said with the most serious voice he'd ever heard from her. "You could never hurt me. I know what's truly inside you, and it does not scare me." Her eyes bore deep into him. "Tell me what you really feel. If you really want me to go and leave you alone, tell me. But be honest. That's all I ask."

Naruto felt as if a thousand bees were ringing his ears "I don't know what it is. I don't want to be alone, but I don't want to hurt you." Kitty raised herself on her toes and closed her eyes. "But every time I'm with you… I feel like I stop thinking." Her hands found the back of his head and began pulling his face to hers. "My heart starts beating fast and I get sweaty and I can't talk straight and I can't think straight and –"

His lips stopped moving when they found something soft and warm. It took a few extremely long seconds to realize what was happening and when he did, his brain went numb. The rational part of his mind told him that he should pull away; he needed to pull away… but he could not. His beating heart easily overpowered his thoughts. Why should he pull away when it felt so good? Naruto's arms moved like they had a mind of their own to embrace Kitty. His eyes closed, and for a moment nothing mattered. The Kyūbi didn't matter. Konoha didn't matter. The Hokage didn't matter. Akatsuki and Orochimaru and Sasuke didn't matter. All that mattered was the fact that this beautiful girl knew what he was, and still kissed him.

They pulled away silently, and didn't say a word to each other for what seemed like the entire night. It was their eyes that said everything, blue and hazel, neither willing to look away.

"Do you still want me to go away?" asked Kitty, her head resting against his chest.

Naruto's brain told him that he should push her away. No matter how much it would hurt him; no matter how much it would hurt her. This was dangerous. If he went on to forget what he was, it would be a dereliction of duty, and he would forever be a disgraced traitor to his village. He had to end it. 'Go away.' Two simple words.

But those thoughts were not what commanded what came out of his lips. What he said came from the most primal, most desperate part of his heart. "No." Their lips met again, this time he started it, and the bliss drowned the guilt.

'It's not wrong… it can't be wrong. Not when it feels so right.'

---

AN: Well… that took a long time. In my defense, I was very busy with some things and with my other story, but I hope that this chapter makes up for it. It is the longest chapter I have written to date. And look! No cliffhangers this time around!

I will write another chapter for this story and then go back to AGP, my main story. I just wanted all to know that no, this story is not abandoned. None of my stories are abandoned unless I explicitly say so, and if I ever abandon them (hopefully I won't), I'll make sure to leave you a notice instead of just leaving you hanging.

With that said, I hope you like the chapter and leave your thoughts. You can also join my Discord server and contact me directly. I only respond to user reviews in PMs, so don't be surprised if you leave a question as guest user and I don't respond.

Discord link: FEKnu79

Until next time!

The Metal Sage