Chapter 1: A terrible Loss
The afterlife
"How long has it been, since I ended up here?' asked Naruto, sitting in a blank white space, that seemed to travel endlessly in every direction.
"A few millennia.", came a grave voice belonging to the Shinto God of Death, the Shinigami.
"And have you and your brothers made a decision on my proposal?" Naruto asked looking over to the deity who had been his longtime friend ever since he was stuck in the afterlife.
"Yes, we have. This universe's Superman died on the way from Krypton to Earth. Every universe will always need some version of Superman, but are you sure you want to this, though?" Shinigami said, as Naruto wanted to be reborn and live again. He was also allowed to keep his chakra.
"Yes. I want to live again." Naruto said, as Shinigami wrapped him in a white light, and he vanished from the dimension where the Shinto gods resided.
Many Years later
Metropolis
Naruto's Suite
Naruto awoke in the middle of the night from his penthouse in Metropolis. It had been nearly 30 years since he first arrived here on earth. When he came into this universe, he came into it already fully grown and was instead placed in a high tech Kryptonian ship. When he had first arrived on this planet, he left his ship in the artic and used it's technology to form the ice around itself, creating a fortress of ice around the ship.
He had Gideon, the AI for his ship, download Earths history from the earliest recording to the last bit that happened the year he had arrived, all of Earths languages including dead ones like Latin, and all the knowledge he needed to interact with daily life. He studied it for some time before setting himself up and going out into the world.
Gideon had originally set him up as Naruto Uzumaki, a reclusive business entrepreneur just starting his business. According to his file, he was an orphan from a small town in Michigan called Harbor Springs, with no friends or family but an excellent academic student, having bachelor's degrees in the areas of computers, engineering, medicine, business, construction, and programing. He had started his business immediately upon landing, on his own since Gideon was able to transfer 40 million from some obnoxious rich man that didn't need it.
Naruto started with just a small warehouse in Starling City. Rao Industries. He went with the God of his people for the name. Rao Industries basically made tech that was so common place in Kryptonian culture that his former race often overlooked how useful it was. But he had to dumb it down to be useable with Earth based components, which was not always easy. He started with various household kitchen items before moving on to other things like medical equipment and supplies, special cellphones that created holograms when you called someone, which gave a more real feeling of talking to someone, and various farming equipment that was designed better than the competitors and pesticide and herbicides that didn't pollute the Earth. He was working of trash disintegrators and flying cars for his next project. All in all, he was one of the world's most prominent businessmen.
When he still lived in Starling City for that first year, he had dated a woman by the name of Dinah Laurel Lance, who would become the superheroine known as Black Canary. She had been rather surprised when they met up years later as their super hero identities in the Watchtower. It's not every day that you find out that your former boyfriend was an alien and the worlds most beloved superhero.
Indeed, upon moving to Metropolis, Naruto had used his Kryptonian powers to become this worlds version of Superman. It had been one of the stipulations required of him upon being reborn. He had to become a super hero. He decided to stay true to the other universes Superman's way of things and became a symbol of hope and peace, standing for truth and justice, though he took the name of Ultraman. He left behind his more violent ways from his past in order to become a better man.
But that was not what woke him up. No, for he turned to the woman at his side, who began to stir from her sleep.
"Naruto? What is it?" said one Lois Lane Uzumaki as she slowly awoke from her slumber to see her husband smiling down at her. Lois was at first skeptical of Ultraman when he first appeared but like so many others in Metropolis grew to love him as their hero and symbol. She was saved by him on multiple occasions, including when terrorists took over Air Force One and when the deranged criminal Toyman kidnapped her as part of his scheme against Bruno Manheim. Naruto had made one mistake with Lois and that was underestimating her instincts as an investigative journalist. She was a very good journalist and reporter and eventually did discover the connection between Naruto Uzumaki and Ultraman. She could have revealed the information to the public, but ultimately, chose not to, as her own feelings for him and all the good he had done for Metropolis and the world as both Naruto Uzumaki and Ultraman, prevented this from happening. They then began a romantic relationship and by this point, had been happily married for years now.
And now, he could hear a 2nd heartbeat coming from his wife.
"Can't hide anything from you, can I, handsome?" Lois smiled as she realized he knew. She only just found out tonight that she was pregnant with their child and had been planning to telling to tell him in the morning. Well, there goes that surprise.
"Super hearing, remember?" Naruto teased a bit.
Lois wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck and pulled him closer to her, "Let's enjoy the moment."
He had no idea how shitty his life was about to get.
The Next day
The reborn ninja flew down to the burnt ruins of Metropolis with his dead pregnant wife in his arms with her own blood smeared a crossed his emblem. With his city, wife, and unborn child- hell, his entire world dead, Naruto fell to his knees, hugging his dead wife's body.
Metropolis was no more. Seven million lives…snuffed out forever.
With Batman
The Knight of Gotham in a holding cell with the smirking clown prince of time. The Dark Knight glares heatedly at the Joker "Why?" asked Batman as he glares at his arch nemesis.
Joker just rolls his eyes and gives him an all-knowing look "Why? You need a reason? It's probably the same reason I beat that puppy to death with a kitten last week. " said Joker as he then grinned manically at Batman, "When the howling and meowing stops, and all you're left with is a mess of fur and blood and brains...well, you can't beat that warm glowing feeling inside."
Batman gripped onto Joker's suit, glaring at the man who had just nuked a city and murdered an innocent woman and her unborn child of someone close to him. "This has always been about us. Why did you do this to him!?" asked Batman wanting to know why this madman went after his friend. What he couldn't fathom was why. Why had this happened? Why had he himself not been targeted, as he has always been by this sadistic and evil minded man? What had made his best friend the victim of Joker's insanity, and on such a devastating level? Why had it been not him, as always?
Joker's own green eyes gazes into Batman's own blue glaring eyes, "Everytime you and I play, I lose. I was getting a bit bored of always losing. I thought I'd try this on easy mode for a bit. And it was easy. It was easy as beating a puppy to death with a kitten," grinned Joker with an insane look.
With Green Lantern
In a forest, both Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Flash brought several people who were were able to be saved from the nukes explosion.
Green Lantern aka Hal Jordan flew down with people in a green construct of energy. "Is that the last of them?" asked Green Lantern to Flash.
Flash zips through carry two people. "Yep, all the outlying areas have now been evacuated to outside the fallout zone." said Flash.
Green Lantern then looked back at Flash. "Ultraman?" asked Green Lantern.
"I think he's still in Metropolis." said Flash.
Both Lantern and Flash look at the nuked city. "Have you tried to talk to him?" asked Green Lantern.
"His communicator stopped working as soon as he entered the blast zone and, with that much radiation, Ultraman's the one guy who can stand at ground zero. No one else can really enter without." Pointed out Flash.
In Metropolis
Wonder Woman slowly flew down, seeing Ultraman on his knees, hugging his dead pregnant wife in his arms. The Amazon walked to the alien as she then placed her arm on her friend. "Naruto." said Wonder Woman hoping she can calm the distressed man.
Ultraman looked at Wonder Woman with tears running down his face "Diana." said Ultraman in a broken voice. He was normally much stronger than this, but he had just been manipulated into killing just about everything that mattered to him. He was allowed to feel weak and broken in this instance. "I killed them. I-"
"No. No. You are not responsible for this. That madman orchestrated the whole thing." said Wonder Woman, interrupting Ultraman as he continued to blame himself.
Ultraman then rises from the ground. "Will you...will you hold her? Will you keep them safe?" asked Ultraman looking at Wonder Woman in a defeated tone.
Wonder Woman nods her head "Of course," said Wonder Woman. Ultraman then handed her his dead wife.
"I'll be back in a bit." said Ultraman taking off in the sky.
"Where are you going?" asked Wonder Woman. He left a confused Amazon in his wake. Diana was thoroughly surprised; Naruto had just been mourning the death of almost everything that he held dear. His city was gone, his wife and child were dead…why had he run off like this? Diana tried to think of any reason that he would do such a thing, and then it hit her like a punch from Hercules.
"This is Wonder Woman to all Leaguers," she spoke into her comm. "I don't care who, but I need any flying member to stop Ultraman from leaving the area!"
As Ultraman flew through the skies he was greeted with Green Lantern. "Ultraman!" exclaimed Green Lantern as he flies up to the distressed man of steel.
"Where is he, Hal?" asked Ultraman, narrowing his blue eyes "The Joker. Where did they take him?"
"Batman took him to Gotham Prison but I don't think you should see him-" but Ultraman flies past the Emerald Knight "Hey!" exclaimed Green Lantern trying to get Ultraman's attention but the angry Kryptonian wasn't listening. Green Lantern sighed at the stubborn man.
"Wait!" yelled Green Lantern. he then created a bubble stopping Ultraman, "You're hurt. You're angry. Take a breather." said Green Lantern trying to calm Ultraman.
Ultraman places his hands on the sphere and glares at Green Lantern "Let me out. Now!" demanded Ultraman.
"Let's just talk first. I don't want you to-" Ultraman then used his immense strength to destroy the construct which caused Green Lantern to fly back.
Ultraman then sped toward Gotham but Green Lantern wouldn't give up. "Stop!" yelled Green Lantern. Most would given up but not Green Lantern. After all Hal Jordan doesn't really do "giving up" plus he would never just stand by and do nothing.
Ultraman turned around glaring at Green Lantern. "I don't want to fight you, my friend. But I will not let Joker get away with what he just done to me." snarled Ultraman.
Green Lantern narrowed his eyes at Ultraman "Please Naruto, don't make me-". Before he can even create a construct or register a thought, Ultraman took off Green Lantern's ring at superspeed, causing the man to fall. Ultraman then caught Green Lantern, as he wasn't going to just let his friend just fall to his death.
"Batman he's-" Hal tried to radio Batman but Ultraman once again snatches the com link.
"No." said Ultraman as crushed the communicator in his hands.
As Ultraman set's the Emerald Knight on the ground he let out a sigh, "Please. Don't do something you'll regret for the rest of your life." said Green Lantern.
Ultraman flew off, leaving Green Lantern without his ring so he couldn't interfere with Naruto's plan. "Maybe it escaped your notice, but I already have." said Ultraman.
With Batman
The Dark Knight stared at the clown, who had a mockingly sad expression as he stared at Batman's solemn expression. "Someone took it all away from you once too, didn't they, Bats? And look what you became…an all-punching, all-kicking little ball of angst." said The Joker as a small smile creeped up on his face. "What do you think Ultraman will become? He's a god who has deluded himself into believing he's a man. What will he turn into?"
Batman glared at Joker. "There are some things even you can't corrupt, Joker." said Batman in confidence.
Joker let out a laugh at that. "Ha! Oh, Batsy. You're so cute." said Joker with a grin.
The wall behind Batman then cracked slowly until the cracks spread to every end of the wall and it crumbled, revealing Ultraman with his hand outstretched. Batman shielded his eyes from the light, and the Joker just smiles at the enraged Kryptonian.
"Get away from him!" Ultraman demanded, his voice full of anger as he landed on solid ground.
"I'm handling this!" insisted Batman.
Ultraman said nothing, but slowly approached the Joker. This day had been nothing but hell for him, all because of that insane clown. Twisted with rage, Ultraman sent the table flying to the far wall and grabbed the joker, slamming him into the other wall.
"You poisoned me!" Ultraman snapped "made me…" Ultraman paused having lost two people he held most dear to him. "Lois…. My child…." Naruto continued, the loss of his wife and unborn child still fresh. The pain was agonizing. It felt worse than when he learned of Pervy Sage's death in his first life.
All the while, the Joker continued to smile. "First Krypton, now Metropolis. People you love tend to blow up, don't they..." the Joker said.
Ultraman was slowly losing it now. He wanted to punch the smile off the Jokers face, until Joker was nothing but a red smear on the ground.
"Ultraman, don't!" batman shouted, trying to keep his friend from killing him.
Ultraman slammed his fist forward, just missing the Joker's face. "That's why I like you, Ultraman. You're much more gullible than..." said the Joker as he made a gesture to Batman. Trying to contain himself, Ultraman threw the Joker across the room. An audible crack could be heard as Joker's shoulder likely broke.
"Ngh. You think locking me up will magically reform me? Your family will be safe?" said the Joker, as, some difficulty, he got back into his seat. "So big… So dumb. Now run along so I can break out of here. I've got lots of planning to do to top this!"
Ultraman was sweating, a combination of fear at what he was about to do and anger that he was being pushed over the edge. He grabbed the Joker out of his seat, holding him by the throat, holding him high.
"That's enough!" Batman demanded as he attempted to grab Naruto's arm. Ultraman clearly didn't want his friend interrupting, as he swatted the Dark Knight back. All Batman could from his position on the ground was watch.
The Joker knew Ultraman was on edge. He felt it would be best to squeak out one last "joke".
"I know it's soon, but...Think you'll ever find love again? Maybe you won't kill your next family..." His eyes glowing, his anger flaring, Ultraman finally lost it.
Naruto let go of Joker, dropping him then grabbing him again, this time covering Joker's mouth with his one hand. "No," Naruto growled as with a swipe of his free hand, he ripped out Joker's vocal cords. What would have likely been laughs from the insane clown were now just gurgles of blood, "You don't get to have that maniacal laugh of yours anymore!"
Naruto slammed Joker into the wall and began to pummel his face, causing blood to fly with every punch, as Naruto was no longer holding back as much of his strength as he normally did. All the reborn ninja could see was a haze of red rage. Before Joker fully faded from this life, Naruto pulled him back to his knees and gripped each side of Joker's head. Applying his superstrength, it only took Naruto a second to crush and explode Joker's head into a thousands little pieces of brain, blood, and bone. Joker's headless body promptly squirted some blood before dropping to the ground.
"What have you done?" Batman asked as he looked on in shock as Ultraman had done the one thing he thought his friend will never do, which was take a person's life. Naruto had had tried to live as Superman would and do right by the man he had replaced in this universe. And look at where that had gotten. His wife and first true child from this life murdered, along with the city he had come to call home.
Naruto turned and looked at Batman with cold eyes. "What you... lacked the courage to do." That was all Naruto said as he flew out of the hole in the building he had made, leaving Batman with his dead nemesis. Naruto would return to Diana to retrieve his wife's body and he would have a private funeral for her and take the time to mourn for her and their child. And then, he would save the world.
Even from itself.
Chapter End
So this was an idea I had made up last year, but with DC now making an animated movie about the Injustice universe, I thought I'd take the time to put this up and see how well it's received.