Alright everyone I thank you all for waiting and being supportive of the rewrite/overhaul of this story. As you will see the concept has been changed but unlike the last one, this one has a direction it's going in and I already have a few arcs planned out thanks to the homies on the discord server.
This version will be a harem so I hope you guys don't mind, I'll include the full list at the bottom. With that being said feel free to pull up to the server to chat and hang out.
Link gtkWAZcY
Sitting on a chair in a large cave underground was a 19 year old spikey haired blond. Rather than normal clothes he was dressed in a black and grey suit consisting of a chest plate that covered his entire torso along with a back piece that was covered by the black cape he was forced to wear. He had matching black and grey armor protecting his legs and arms as well and finally a black mask that covered most of his face except for the two holes meant for his eyes.
The mask had no discernable features on it, simply black and nothing else. At the moment it was placed off to the side, allowing the young man to breathe a little easier.
Sitting a few feet away from him on a larger chair in front of a large computer screen was an older man in similar armor, though he had a black bat symbol on the chest and had a matching mask with pointed ears and everything. That man was none other than Gotham city's very own Batman. The young man across from him was his current sidekick, for lack of a better term.
Any normal person would be ecstatic to be in his position, but the look on the young man's face showed anything but happiness. In fact, the only thing that one could read from his face would be irritation. Irritation that was clear on display as his left foot rapidly tapped on the ground, echoing through the walls of the caves with every tap.
"Naruto." Batman called out without taking his eyes off the screen. The tapping sound persisted for a moment before coming to a halt. "Are you finished?" He asked in a gruff tone of voice
The blond stood up and made his way over to the screen, standing behind the chair while his teacher scrolled through various pages within different programs. They'd just returned to the Bat Cave after a night of patrolling and taking down a pair of criminals trying to stick a couple up for their money in the shadier part of town.
He was most likely trying to find where the next potential attempt at crime would be. There was news on another open window detailing the current events occurring within Gotham from government elections, crimes, public events, etc… As Batman continued to type away, something in one of the windows caught his attention, and brought his mood down further.
"Hey, can you click on that right there?" He asked, though the tone he used made it clear he wanted him to do it regardless. His finger pointed at a specific article that Batman thankfully clicked on, though he didn't miss the slight hesitation before clicking it. It was something small, but you didn't spend years with this man and not pick things up.
"Local couple found dead in a back alley on the northernmost side of Gotham leaving two children orphaned. Police say the perpetrator is still at large and have no leads as of yet." Naruto read out loud. "That sounds awfully familiar doesn't it?" He asked.
Batman made a noise between a yes and a regular cough and continued with his business.
"Today makes ten years." Naruto continued in an upset tone. "Is there any word on who did it?" He asked, not bothering to elaborate further. He asked the same question every year and it was always the same answer.
"Nothing yet. Whoever did it covered their trail well. There's nothing to follow." Batman responded, once again giving him the same answer.
Perhaps it was the fact that a case so similar to his had surfaced that made him more irritable today, but that answer wasn't good enough.
"You know everyone calls you the world's greatest detective." Naruto said as he walked away from the computer. Batman stopped typing and turned his head slightly in order to keep one eye on his protege as he began what was sure to be another rant. "But for some reason I'm the only one who's not seeing it. Ten years and not a single update, not a single lead, no one in custody, absolutely nothing."
Batman noticed the young man's hands opening and closing rapidly at his sides. A sign that he was trying to keep himself together.
"I've told you before." Batman began in a much calmer tone. "These things take time. Whoever did it wasn't your run of the mill criminals. Trust me when I say we'll find them and bring them to justice."
Naruto had to withhold the scoff that threatened to escape him.
'Justice? We've captured the same criminals multiple times since they're let out within weeks of jail time.' He thought to himself bitterly. That thought had been persistent in his mind for the past few years. While he continued to grow and enhance his skills in hand to hand combat and strategy, there was one thing that didn't change. The criminals they took down.
Most of the high profile criminals such as mafia bosses or the occasional metahuman they battled would be released from prison within weeks. They'd either break out or work the legal system in their favor and be right back to causing problems for the city again. In Naruto's mind there was an obvious solution, but it was one his teacher didn't approve of.
The one time he brought it up he was told 'Knowing how to kill doesn't mean you must.' Batman had taught him how to use his hands in ways that were considered lethal but always stressed restraint. In Naruto's mind that same restraint was the reason Gotham was as fucked up as it was. The two children who had just been orphaned was proof of that.
"I'm done for the night. I'm going home." He said in a dead tone, his face devoid of emotion.
Batman watched the blond make his way up the stairs, greeting his butler Alfred as he did so before disappearing from view. The moment the boy was gone he pulled his cowl back revealing Bruce Wayne. He pulled up the case that Naruto had insisted on seeing and sighed to himself.
That case hit close to home for both of them, both had been robbed of their families at a young age on the same streets they now protected. Bruce recalled the day Naruto had been dropped off at his doorstep by the Maid of the Namikaze family. The boy had just turned nine and was now a victim of Gotham's rampant crime problem.
At the time he wasn't in the best state of mind to handle such a responsibility, not when he had a city to protect. In an act that he regretted to this day, he dropped the boy off at an orphanage where he could get the proper care he needed. Bruce was friends with both Minato and Kushina, when their murder became public knowledge he dug deep to find out anything he could about who did it.
It took two years to find an answer and that answer was what drove him to go retrieve the boy, only for things to worsen. Naruto had run away from the orphanage. The news alarmed him and that same night he went searching and ended up finding the boy beating a man on a dark corner of a street.
He reasoned that Naruto must have gotten the drop on him as there was a bloody metal pipe in his hand. He dropped down just in time to hear Naruto asking the man what he knew and was preparing to bash the man's head in. Fortunately he wasn't quick enough and Bruce was able to stop him just before he did so.
The look in the young boy's eyes reflected the same pain and anger he felt when his own parents were killed and he knew he couldn't leave him. From that day on Naruto had stayed under his watchful eye, learning how to defend himself and helping him keep the streets safe. From the day he took him under his wing he learned that Naruto was smart, fast, strong, and absorbed knowledge quickly. While those were all great qualities, there was also cause for concern.
His mind stayed fixated on the death of his parents and he wanted answers. His mind always circled back to it, acting as the driving force that kept him going. That was the main trait Bruce was trying to remove from the man.
"Master Bruce." Alfred greeted, lowering the small tray with a cup down to the man's level. While the man took the cup and had a sip of the drink, Alfred looked up to see what the man was doing and his eyes widened.
"Oh my. That's probably why Master Naruto seemed upset." He commented. Bruce nodded and returned his attention back to the screen.
"Do you think what you're doing is right?" Alfred asked suddenly. "He will eventually find out that you know who ordered the hit and who carried it out and I'm afraid that when he does he will be furious."
Batman shook his head no and continued typing. "It's for his own good, Alfred. If he finds out who it was he'll stop at nothing to find them and get himself killed. The chances of him finding them are low, if they don't want to be found they won't."
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The streets of Gotham tended to be rather empty past a certain time. People didn't want to end up as statistics and opted to stay in, though that didn't really guarantee them safety either. Naruto, who'd changed back into all black clothing consisting of jeans and a pull over hoodie glanced at the windows of the large apartment buildings he was passing by.
The blinds on most were shut but the light from the kitchen or tv illuminated them. Families were probably having dinner or enjoying time together watching a movie. He closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head, not wanting to think about that any more. The case was fresh on his mind and it brought back nothing but bad memories and resentment.
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out quickly, not wanting his hands exposed to the cold for long. He'd gotten a message from an unknown number. Since he started his 'hero' career with Bruce someone would often text him, giving him information on whatever it is he needed. He didn't know who it was but they'd helped him out more times than he could count.
"You should go inside, you'll catch a cold" It said. Normally, people would be concerned about potentially having a stalker but not him. If they wanted to try something they'd have done it by now.
Naruto didn't respond and continued his trek home. As he crossed the street he noticed bright lights from a rather large building a few hundred feet away. Men and women dressed in fancy looking clothing could be seen being dropped off in limo's or being picked up from the 'Iceberg Lounge'.
Naruto stared at the building for a moment, taking both the regular looking people as well as the ones that looked shady.
While most went there to mingle and rub shoulders with other rich people, there were a select few that went to talk to the owner of the establishment. One Oswald Cobblepot, also known as 'The Penguin' to a select few.
Naruto and Batman both knew the establishment was a front for his illegal dealings but the man was smart and managed to make everything legit enough to avoid the feds. Something else he was known for was the information he had. Penguin was one of the few sane and intelligent villains who knew more than he was supposed to and often sold that information for money or favors.
That last thought kept Naruto planted in his spot.
'If anyone might have an idea who killed my parents, it would be him.' He thought. He stopped by a small liquor store a street down and in an impressive display of speed, he took off towards his apartment and changed into a black suit he owned. Half an hour later he made his way towards the front door of the Iceberg Lounge and headed straight to the restroom.
It seemed that luck was on his side as no one was inside. He and Batman had been in the building many times over the past few years, as such he had a good idea of the layout of the building. Making his way to one of the stalls he looked up and quickly undid the small screws that held the vent in place and easily pulled himself up.
'Penguin's personal room isn't far from here if I recall correctly.' He thought to himself as he quietly maneuvered through the vents. He could hear the music below him and the sounds of people dancing and enjoying themselves.
Crawling through the vents for another couple of minutes and having to go up a few floors, he finally made it to his destination. Another vent below him showed Penguin sitting behind a desk, four beautiful women in short dresses and heels surrounding him.
'Definitely not bodyguards' he thought. They weren't on guard and seemed to only be there because he was most likely providing plenty of cash. Opening his jacket, he pulled out a small black animal mask that he'd bought at the liquor store and jumped down.
The women and Penguin noticed him but didn't make a sound. Naruto put a finger up to where his nose would be and lifted the other arm to show a large knife in his hand.
"Do you know who I am?" Penguin asked menacingly.
"I do." Naruto responded with a deeper voice. "I need some information, and you're gonna provide it for me. Head over to the window." He ordered, waiving the knife.
Penguin scowled at him but complied nonetheless. The frightened women huddled off to the side, holding onto each other hoping he wouldn't turn his ire on them. "Don't make a sound and you won't be harmed." Naruto said out loud.
"If you even attempt to grab that umbrella I'll slice your jugular." Naruto threatened having seen the man eye the concealed weapon. The young man made his way over to him and held the blade up to the side of his throat and spoke again. "The Namikaze family. You knew of them?"
Penguin nodded slowly.
"They were murdered. I want to know who and why."
The fat man blinked a few times, not having expected that to be the question he was asked. "If I tell you this, you'll let me live?" Penguin shot back. While he might have looked calm, inside he was anything but.
Naruto nodded.
"Fine. The man who ordered the hit was Vandal Savage." The name wasn't familiar to the blond and the slight tilt of his head told the Penguin as much. "It's not widely known that one of his children was Minato Namikaze." He revealed shocking Naruto. His dad had never spoken about his grandfather, and it seemed there was a good reason if he ordered a hit on his own son.
"He met a woman and she was pregnant shortly after they married. Minato wasn't only his son but a subordinate who turned his back on him after his own son was born and fled. My guess is he didn't want his kid involved in whatever they were doing. As a result he ordered both him and his wife to be killed and for their son to be brought to him." He continued, further surprising the blond.
What could his parents, or at least his dad, have been involved in? Who the hell was Vandal Savage?
"Anything else?" Naruto asked
"Savage hired David Cain along with a small army of assassins to take care of them. From what I know Minato and Kushina managed to hold their own and killed most of them for a while but were eventually overrun. Tired and injured, Cain came in and finished them off with little trouble.
Though they completed the main part of the job, the head maid of the family made away with their 9 year old. That's all I know." He finished.
Naruto remembered being taken away when their home was attacked but little else. The only thing he remembered after hearing glass shatter was being picked up and then showing up at Bruce's house a few days later and then later being taken to the orphanage.
He still held a bit of resentment for that but tried to leave it in the past.
"Savage and Cain. Where do I find them?" He asked.
Penguin took a deep breath and replied. "I don't know." The blade at his neck began to be pressed into his neck slightly harder, causing him to panic. "I swear! I haven't heard from either of them in years. I don't know where they are. I've told you everything, what more do you want? Want me to read your horoscope?" Though he was in a bad situation he couldn't help but add that last jab in.
Naruto pulled the blade away from the man and made his way back until he was under the vent. "Thank you for your time. If you try to chase me, it won't end well for you." Jumping high into the air he got back in the vent and made his way out of the building. He was slightly surprised, he fully expected all guards on alert the moment he was out of the room but Penguin complied.
The blond went back to his apartment and laid down as soon as he made it to his room, not bothering to change just yet. His mind was racing with all the discoveries he'd made today.
After ten years he finally had some names. He paused. That was very easy. Penguin knew which meant there was no reason Batman couldn't have an idea. The man had contacts everywhere and made it his business to know what happened in his city.
'What if he does know?' Naruto thought angrily. He got up and changed into more comfortable clothing and turned all the lights off. Tomorrow, he'd ask Bruce about them and gauge his reaction, he'd go from there.
The next night after their daily patrol of the city, Naruto once again sat in the same spot within the Batcave, watching Bruce work on his computer. Throughout the day, all he could think about were the names Vandal Savage and David Cain. He'd looked into them on his own computer early in the day but as he expected, nothing came up. He knew it wouldn't be that easy but he hoped he'd have gotten some sort of hit.
The sounds of the keys being pressed rapidly echoed through the cave and snapped him out of his thoughts. It was time.
"Bruce." He called out. The older man stopped and turned his head enough to look at him but didn't stop typing.
"What is it?" He asked.
Naruto steeled himself. He wasn't sure why but he could feel his heart pumping faster. While he never really showed it, he had grown fond of the man. The blond hoped Batman would be straight with him and answer, because if he didn't, well he hadn't thought that far yet but his trust in the man would be gone.
"Do the names Vandal Savage and David Cain ring a bell to you?" Naruto noticed the man's hands stop typing for a split second before continuing. His eyes began to narrow.
"I've run into them once or twice. Why do you ask?" Batman replied with his usual gruff voice but something was off. The names were enough to break his focus for a moment which meant something was up.
Naruto didn't respond, instead continued to stare at the man's head until he stopped typing and turned around in his chair to face him. The blond kept his hard stare on the man until Bruce crossed his arms in front of him.
Batman saw that his answer wasn't what his protege wanted to hear and continued. "I haven't heard from Savage in years, I'm not sure where he is or what he's planning. As for David Cain, he's one of the best assassins in the world and hasn't been seen in a long time."
"Where does Cain stay?" Naruto asked, pushing the man to get a reaction. That question seemed to do the trick.
Batman's look mirrored the blond's as his face changed into a scowl. "Naruto. Listen to me. Do not go looking for that man." He responded in a hard tone. He wasn't stupid enough to think the blond didn't know who killed his parents now. "I know what you're thinking, those kinds of thoughts will lead you down a bad path."
Naruto said nothing, only turning his head when they heard the sound of footsteps making their way towards them. Alfred brought two cups with him on a tray and handed one to Bruce and one to Naruto, which the blond refused.
"No thank you Alfred. I'm going to turn in for the night." He replied, standing up and making his way out, not bothering to reply to Batman. Both men watched the blond disappear but said nothing. Alfred because he'd said his piece already and Bruce because his mind was racing, wondering where Naruto had gotten that information from.
When Naruto made it to his apartment a few minutes later, he knew something was wrong. As he closed the door and stood in front of it, he could see a figure sitting on the couch a few feet away from him. Though the room was completely dark, the light from the moon shined through curtains on his windows. This allowed him to see the silhouette of a rather bulky man with a mask staring back at him.
"Hello Naruto. How was your night?" Naruto's eyes widened. He recognized that voice. Moving his hand to the switch next to the door, the lights came on and revealed the black and orange armor belonging to Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke the Terminator.
Shit. His night couldn't get any worse.
Not wanting to have a fight break out in his house, Naruto pulled his hoodie over his head and tossed it onto the back of one of the chairs around his dinner table before heading to the kitchen. If Deathstroke wanted him dead, he would have attacked by now.
"Uneventful. I am kind of hungry though. Gonna cook up some dinner and call it a night. You already let yourself in, would you like some? Or did you already raid my fridge while you were here?" He quipped. While he may be playing nonchalant, his eyes were darting all over the place, trying to see if anything was out of place. Anything that could alert him to a trap.
Deathstroke chuckled from his spot on the couch. "No thank you, I won't be here too long."
"Speaking of you being here, I would've thought the world's greatest and deadliest assassin was above petty breaking and entering." He shot back.
The atmosphere in the room quickly changed after that remark and Naruto quickly grabbed one of the kitchen knives closest to him, ready in case anything went down.
"Well, the truth is I didn't come here to exchange pleasantries. At least not at first." He replied smoothly.
"I heard someone snuck into the Penguin's personal room at his club and threatened him at knife point, grilling him over his information on the Namikaze case from a decade ago." He continued.
Naruto was surprised, that had just happened and he already knew about it. Seeing the look on his face Deathstroke continued. "I have eyes and ears everywhere Naruto."
"That means you're familiar with Vandal Savage and David Cain." Naruto shot back.
The man nodded. "Very much so. I can guess what you're thinking. You want to track them down. Let me just tell you that as you are now, if you try and fight either of them, you'll die." He responded with absolute certainty.
Naruto scowled. "I can hold my own against Batman and I've held my own against you too." He shot back.
Deathstroke shook his head. "You've never been one of my targets. That's one of the reasons I held back every time we fought each other."
"One of?"
Another nod from the assassin. "Let's just say you've made a good impression on me over the years. You've been trained well but you haven't reached your full potential and under Batman, you never will."
"Get to the point." Naruto snapped at him. No one in their right mind would talk to Deathstroke like that if they wanted to continue living, but that was one of the reasons the man took an interest in him.
The man chuckled and stood up. "Vandal Savage and David Cain are beyond your capabilities. I see the potential you have. I've fought against both of them in the past and can prepare you accordingly and when the time comes, I'll take you to Cain."
Naruto stared at the man with narrowed eyes, something still wasn't adding up. "What can you do for me that Batman can't? From what I've seen you always fail to beat him."
Deathstroke laughed much to his surprise. He was fully prepared to block if the man attacked but the attack never came. The man decided to ignore the jab at him and continued. "I can make you surpass human limits like me and give you access to 90% of your brain function. You'll become stronger, more agile, faster, borderline metahuman. I can connect you with powerful people in the underworld, and help you build an information network." He offered, referring to the effects of the serum he took all those years ago.
Naruto's eyes widened but narrowed again rapidly. That sounded good, too good. "What's in it for you? There has to be something you want for you to offer this kind of power to me."
Deathstroke smirked, not that Naruto could see behind the mask. "You're correct. See, I've been looking for an apprentice for a long time but haven't come across anyone worth my time. Until now." He said, looking him in the eye. "I can see you have what it takes to succeed me in the future, you're strong and willing to kill, I can see it in your eyes. So what will it be?"
Naruto thought about it for a moment. He couldn't get a read on the man because of the mask and his body language told him nothing. The thought that he wanted an apprentice held some merit but he had a feeling there was more to it than that. Still, what he was being offered was insane and sounded very tempting. The image of Bruce and Alfred flashed through his mind but at the same time the image of his mom and dad did as well.
"How long do I have to think about it?" He asked.
Deathstroke threw a small card on the table and made his way to the window. "You have a week but know this, my training will be more brutal than Batman's. I'll put you through hell and back but it'll be worth it in the end."
Naruto watched the man exit through the window and disappear into the night before releasing a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His body relaxed and he picked up the card to find a phone number written on it.
He sat down, twirling the card in his hands as he contemplated the offer. He'd just found out who killed his family and now he had Deathstroke offering to train him. The blond knew there was more to Deathstroke's offer than just wanting an apprentice but this wasn't something he could simply ignore.
He put the card away and locked up before heading to his room. He doubted he'd get much sleep but tried anyway. He had a week to think things over. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that and look forward to more. Anyways, for those interested, the harem will be 7 people and no more so please don't throw suggestions. In no order of appearance:
Killer Frost(Assault on Arkham)
Superwoman(Crisis on two earths)
Big Barda
Lady Shiva
Black Canary
Huntress
Sombra(OW)
That's it, no more will be added. Anyways until next time and hope to see you all in the server.
gtkWAZcY
