Injustice: The Path to Hell.
Book 2: Darkness in the Light.
Chapter XV – Aftermath.
"Normal Speech."
'Normal Thought.'
"Demon Speech."
'Demon Thought.'
"Other Speech variants."
Location/Time.
Tuesday 11th November, 16:10.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
His breathing was laboured.
His muscles were heavy and every step he took was a struggle. Yet Ted pushed on, forcing one foot in front of the other as he rushed down the snowy streets of Gotham. Hank was safe, but in critical condition, Don was dead and he had failed them both. Naruto was still out there and Ted wouldn't fail another student, not after he had failed the other two.
Not now and not ever.
Even if it killed him, Ted would save Naruto's life.
As he rounded the corner, in the distance he could make out the sight of Naruto's tail cutting through buildings, desperately attempting to cut through Talon. Up above on another building he could make out gunfire, seeing only a flash of two figures engaging in a battle on the rooftops. It was a sight that put his heart at ease for only a moment because it showed that Naruto wasn't alone, he had help.
But that was shattered when he noticed something descended from the sky and a desperate cry from the rooftops. "Naruto!" It was a cry that pierced through Ted's heart, even more so when he saw Naruto, unmoving for some reason and Grundy raising its large arms above its head.
Ted let out a shout of his own, a futile attempt to do something in his position of helplessness as those burly white fists were brought down upon Naruto's head. The aftershocks of that blow caused mass damage to the surroundings and even Ted was rocked to his feet, his exhausted body unable to stand upright as he collapsed to the ground.
For nought but a few seconds, he lay there, dazed and for a moment, without even realising let his legs rest. This unwitting rest had caught Ted by surprise and he was suddenly hit by a wave of exhaustion that made it hard to stay awake, let alone move.
And as he looked up, he watched the figure of a young girl, Ravager from what he could make out, rushing down into the crater. Then the echoing booms of fists raining down followed by the violent vibrations of the ground seemed to register in his mind and Ted grit his teeth. Fists dug into the ground and he strained to push himself, arms shaking and veins bulging as his tired body protested at the action.
'I can't fail! I won't fail!' Ted cried internally. 'I've already lost one and failed the other, I can't lose another one! I won't! Even if it kills me, I'll save you!' With a growl, Ted rose to his feet and despite stumbling initially, Ted rushed towards where Naruto was only to come into contact with a barrier of some kind.
It caught him off guard and his momentum coming to a sudden halt, threw Ted back to the ground as he stared up at the sky. His breath was foggy and once again, Ted struggled to get to his feet, his exhausted body screaming at him in protest.
This time, however, as he rose to his feet, Ted could see clearly down into the pit. Could see Talon walking towards the barely conscious Naruto who was held in the air by his hair by Grundy. Drawing back one fist, he threw it forwards, his knuckles upon coming into contact only made the barrier flash red.
It did nothing.
Yet Ted didn't stop, he punched the barrier again and again. Each time become more violent as he watched Naruto get impaled in the stomach. Then watched as Talon dug further and further into his chest, blood pooling onto the ground beneath them. And once again, Ted was helpless to do anything but watch.
Even when Naruto's intestines were ripped and dumped out on the floor, Ted didn't stop. In fact, he became more ferocious and violent, snarling and growling like a savage beast as he pounded fruitlessly away at the barrier.
"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"
Suddenly, Ted came to a stop, eyes widening as he watched Naruto break free. His stomach rapidly stitching itself back together and his aura returning in full force once more. Then he watched what could only be described as a one-sided slaughter.
Despite being surrounded, despite being outnumbered, Naruto was dominating everything and everyone that came his way. He never stopped, he never took a moment to take stock of his situation. Everything instinct, every one of his senses, every fibre of his being was entirely invested in the fight taking place that he became an unstoppable force of nature.
In that instant, he became exactly what his moniker dictated, a Maelstrom.
He tore through his enemies with ease, avoided all of their strikes and responded with powerful blows of his own. In that singular instant, Naruto became untouchable.
Wednesday 12th November, 00:30.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
It was silent.
The atmosphere was tense as people shifted uncomfortably in their positions as they looked around at those gathered. No one knew what to say, how to vocalise what they were thinking in a meaningful way. So, it left them in a situation where people wanted to break the silence that had befallen them but couldn't find the words with which to do so.
Stood in the corner of the room, Kaldur frowned heavily as one finger tapped rapidly against the bicep of his opposite arm, both crossed over his chest. Beside him, Connor who was sat down on an armrest, fingers laced together and braced on his knees, tapping one foot repeatedly on the ground.
Neither said anything, just observed those around them.
Barbara was blank-faced, frozen solid as Zatanna, Artemis and M'gann gathered around her, hoping to provide some measure of comfort to the young girl. But she had been this way ever since they had arrived in Gotham after learning of what was happening. A stark contrast to the frantic, panicked state she had been in when first learning of what had happened.
They all had been.
Naruto was a friend, a former teammate and a leader. Someone who had been there for them through hard times. Someone who despite being harsh and demanding, had done so in order to prepare themselves for the future. One who through every failure, pushed himself further to cover for that weakness and in turn, without saying a word and by only setting an example, inspired them all to do the same.
To learn that Naruto was being ambushed, that Talon, Solomon Grundy and dozens of other foes had killed the young hero, Dove, severely injured his partner, Hawk and was intending to kill Naruto, they had all leapt into action. Yet when they arrived, it was to find that the Flash, Superman, Captain Atom and other leaguers cleaning up the streets infested with Demons alongside Alan Scott and Etrigan.
Doctor Fate and others like Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman having gone ahead to help Naruto. The disaster had already been averted and Naruto had been saved, albeit barely.
He had been unconscious, severely exhausted and highly injured after having overused his powers and the battle he had fought. Barbara upon seeing Naruto in that state and being unable to do anything had just completely shut down. Nothing anyone said or did seem to be capable of snapping her out of such a state.
Both Kaldur and Connor themselves were angry beyond belief. Out of all the members of the team besides Barbara, they had formed the closest bond with Naruto. Day in and day out the three would routinely train alongside one another. It had been Naruto that had helped Kaldur come to terms with Tula being with Garth. It had been Naruto who had been able to understand part of what Connor felt at being experimented upon.
It had been he that helped them both.
They were friends and to learn that their friend had been fighting for life and they hadn't been able to be there like they knew Naruto would have been for them, that angered them greatly. Everyone was angry.
But above all else, there was shock and admiration.
Donald Hall, none had known him personally besides his brother, Naruto and Barbara. But it was the death of someone so young that shook each and every single one of them to the core. Someone not much older than themselves that had pursued the life of a hero like them gave his life in the pursuit to save another's life, even at the cost of his own. That was something that many despite knowing was something heroes should be able to make, was a decision none of them had been forced to make, nor were they all sure they could make. So it was admirable to see someone not much older than themselves, make that difficult decision.
Yet they weren't the only ones here as while many Leaguers had returned to their respective cities or the Watchtower, there were a few older heroes.
There was Ted Grant and Alan Scott, older heroes who had seemingly come out of retirement in recent days. Both looked completely exhausted and both looked battered and bruised. Alan Scott was by far the worse of the two, covered in large scratches, bites and bruises from his battle against the Demons in the Gotham City Centre. Wildcat on the other hand was relatively unharmed if one ignored the severely swollen and no doubt broken hands he now possessed.
But emotionally out of the two, Ted just looked drained. Guilt, anger and many other emotions plain to see as the state of his newly found students weighed heavily upon him.
Finally was the three Leaguers who had remained behind, Red Tornado, Black Canary and Batman. None gave anything away, the latter two stood talking in hushed tones. Kaldur didn't need an enhanced hearing to know what they were talking about, it had been on his mind as well.
Naruto had raised concerns to him that the Injustice League was not their target. All their planning and subterfuge, all the logistical and time necessary to control and organise the movement of so many villains, only for a simple ransom situation? It didn't make sense and while initially, Kaldur had been sceptical – he trusted Naruto, but he just didn't want to acknowledge the possibility that there was more to come – but now he could no longer deny it.
During Connor and M'gann's infiltration of Belle Reve and their subsequent foiling of an attempted mass breakout had led to two villains escaping. The Riddler and the Talon. Kaldur had not known either personally, but he knew that Talon had a personal interest in Naruto.
Yet no one had heard from him since, only for him to suddenly make an appearance again during the splitting of the worlds. An incident in which he targeted Naruto personally. Even attacking Hawk and Dove on Halloween to lure Naruto out, something he had overheard Ted explain to Alan. That had failed, but again, another incident that kept the Justice League and they preoccupied and Naruto vulnerable had been orchestrated.
It could be brushed off as mere coincidence, that Talon capitalised upon the opportunity presented. But the technology his thugs had possessed this time around as well as the barrier and others factors, all spoke of pre-planned preparations. As if Talon had known that this was going to happen and planned accordingly.
Considering Naruto's prior doubts about the Injustice League, the strange cohesion amongst the various villains across the world and now this, Kaldur was a believer in the theory that there was more to come. As chilling as the thought was, Kaldur could deny it no longer and so he was left with the questions of what was next? And why Naruto?
But before he could focus on that any further, both Doctor Fate and Jason Blood entered the main room once more. Everyone turned and looked, Doctor Fate himself saying nothing as he exited the building. Jason meanwhile released a sigh and nodded his head, a flood of relief filled the room, Barbara rushing to her feet and down the corridor.
No one attempted to stop her.
"How are they?" Ted asked, breaking the silence of the room.
"Stable for now, Hank's still in a coma," Jason answered. "I can't say when either will recover nor when or if he will awaken. He has suffered severe trauma enough so that if not for his powers and immediate care, he would have died. Don's selfless act is the only reason Hank is still alive." Ted dropped his head, the news bringing both comfort and sadness.
"And Naruto?" Connor spoke up.
"Unsure. Superficially, Naruto is perfectly fine and healthy. However, internally, Naruto's internal organs have been severely damaged and his small and large intestines are still reforming." That earned more than a few winces. "On top of that, the overuse of his powers has exhausted him mentally and the alchemical compounds and spells coating the weapons of the Undead Talons claws and Bronze Tigers gloves are still slowing down his ability to heal. So I can't say for certain. You are welcome to stay here until he awakens, there is plenty of room."
Kaldur shook his head. "No, we wouldn't want to intrude. When he awakens, we'll come to see him. But thank you, truly." Kaldur said sincerely and Jason nodded to the young man.
Monday 17th November, 02:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
"Thank you," Barbara whispered, more out of reflex as she took the offered cup of tea from the hands of Jason. Holding it carefully in both hands, Barbara raised it to her lips and took a careful sip, pleasantly surprised to find it a comfortable temperature that didn't burn her mouth, no doubt a result of magic.
Beside her, Jason pulled out a second chair, looking upon the bed where Naruto lay unconscious. "You should get some rest, proper rest, not the little naps you take when you can't force yourself to stay awake any longer. It's not healthy, Barbara."
Looking away and to Naruto, she shook her head. "I can't, every time I close my eyes, I just keep on thinking about what would happen if we turned up later. And I just keep blaming myself, I've been so preoccupied with the team that I haven't spent as much time with him as I would have liked. I keep thinking to myself, what if it was Naruto, not Don that died. There are so many things I want to do and to say and that could have all been stripped from me before I got the chance. As selfish and as wrong as it is, at times I feel relieved that it wasn't Naruto."
"That is nothing to be ashamed of," Jason told her. "That feeling you have, that's what it means to be human. We, despite how civilised we've become, are naturally selfish creatures. It is the survival instinct within us."
"But a hero shouldn't be like that." Barbara snapped, more frustrated with herself than anyone else. "We fight for the good of others fully expected to receive nothing in return. Don, he was no older than myself and had only just begun, yet his final act made him more of a hero than I have been my entire hero. I like to tell myself that I could make the same sacrifice and at times, I think I could and I tell myself I could. But…"
Jason released a sigh, smiling comfortingly at the distraught young woman. "Barbara, allow me to impart some advice upon you from my many, many years." He said and Barbara looked at him. "Rarely in my life, have I met people both so selfless and selfish as heroes."
This was not what Barbara expected, selfless maybe, but selfish? They risked their lives day in and day out without expecting any form of reward or compensation for their hard work. What was selfish about that?
"I can see that you're confused, allow me to clarify." Jason amended. "What would you do in this situation? There's a child at risk and you have only two options available to you. Fight to only incapacitate your opponent, but in doing so are too late to save the child. Or, do you kill only a few and save the child in time? What would you do in that situation where there are only those two options?"
Barbara was silent which is exactly what Jason had expected.
"That is why I say that heroes are both selfless and selfish. You risk your lives for the betterment of others, but you do not risk your code. You do not compromise in the way you handle villains and oftentimes, that results in great casualties." Jason explained and Barbara frowned in thought.
"So…are you telling me that heroes should kill?"
Jason shook his head, rising to his feet. "I believe that to be truly considered a hero, you need to understand that you're unwillingness to kill is both your most admirable trait, but also your greatest weakness. Donald, made the ultimate sacrifice, something you are unsure that you could make in his position. That is the same feeling you felt when I presented you with a conundrum, was it not?" The silence was all the answer Jason needed. "In your life, you will be faced with many hardships and similar problems, you have to ask yourself this, are you willing to become a truly selfless person like Donald and give everything for another. To taint your hands red in order to save another's like Naruto has done? Or will you keep to that code, never staining your hands?"
Just as Jason went to leave, he imparted one last tidbit upon Barbara. "Ultimately Barbara, you have to ask yourself what kind of hero you want to be. A selfless hero, or a selfish one. Because rarely does life provide you with the comfort to live in both worlds."
And as the door closed behind him, leaving Barbara in the silence of the room, she turned to Naruto. He was still and unmoving and Barbara reached out, taking his hand between hers and resting her forehead against the back of his palm. Interlocking her fingers with his Barbara closed her eyes and thought upon what Jason had told her.
Naruto, he had killed.
Don, he had died.
Naruto had tainted his hands with blood in order to put an end to villains once and for all.
Don had given his life so that his brother might live.
Two very different sacrifices, but by Jason's admission, made them both truly selfless heroes in his eyes. So did that make her a selfish one? If so, what was she supposed to do? Did she remain on her current path, try to prove him wrong? Or did she do something else?
Barbara didn't know and honestly, she didn't know if she could go through with it either. It was one thing to say that you could, but to go through with it was an entirely different thing. She had seen Naruto's life, she had seen Don's.
Hank, if he ever awoke would be forever scarred by the death of his brother. If she were to make a similar sacrifice as his, those close to her would be similarly affected and she didn't know if she could put them through that. And Naruto, his life had gone from bad to worse the moment he became Black Hood. While his time with the team, she believed had been fun and almost normal – or as normal as life could be for them – he was still here, unmoving and recovering.
Barbara no matter how hard she tried, couldn't find the answer.
Tuesday 25th November, 12:00.
Earths Atmosphere.
The Watchtower.
"Seriously, the Atom? How useful could he be at that size?" Captain Marvel asked, looking around the table at the gathered Leaguers. It was a U-shaped in structure, the seven founding leaguers with the figurehead and de facto leader of the Justice League, Superman sat at the head. Batman sat upon his right, Wonder Woman his left. Then, spreading out from either side around the table, where the other founding members, Flash, Martian Manhunter, Hal Jordan and Aquaman. Each seat at the table was then provided to those who had joined next.
"It's the size that makes him useful," Batman answered.
Flash nodded his head in agreement, it was a sound choice after all. "Absolutely. Still, we could always use more firepower." Here he inputs his suggestion, the newest Green Lantern, Guy Gardner displayed to the League. "And Earth has a third Green Lantern, Guy Gardner."
"No." The firm words of John Stewart and Hal Jordan left little doubt in anyone's mind as to how much they disliked such a decision. An understandable concern as well, Guy Gardner was hardly a model hero and involved himself in situations that didn't require his help and in turn made things worse. He also had problems with cooperating with others as shown by the distaste shared by his fellow Lanterns.
But he was also new and therefore, had time to grow and learn. The Flash also wasn't wrong, adding another Green Lantern to their ranks would certainly revise more firepower that would deter possible threats in the future.
Flash wasn't deterred, however. "But we could really…"
"No."
"If we're considering Blue Devil, then I nominate Red Arrow." Seeing where this situation would go if not changed, Green Arrow stepped in. "Roy has more experience and he's eighteen, a legal adult. He's ready."
The suggestion of Blue Devil, a former member of the Justice Society of America had certainly been surprising. Many of the former heroes had retired and while there were instances, especially recently with Alan Scott and Ted Grant coming out of retirement, Daniel Cassidy had been around for a long while. Where others in the Justice Society retired, Blue Devil continued his career as a hero, but as a solo act once more.
There had been a vested interest recently within the older heroes, what with the first Green Lantern, the once most powerful hero on Earth. One who had been in the position that Superman was currently in as the figurehead and leader of the precursor hero organisation. Considering the current difficulties the Justice League was facing with its image, inviting older members from a bygone era could be a way of which to revitalise the Leagues image. Not to mention that Green Arrows suggestion of his former protégé, Red Arrow had the same effect but for the younger generation.
"Is he?" Aquaman spoke up, arms crossed and a frown upon his face. "He has been uncooperative and disrespectful. If we reward that kind of behaviour, what kind of message does that send to the rest of the team?"
These words earned more than a few nods of agreement and Green Arrow frowned. He understood where these concerns were coming from, but even so, that was his former protégé.
What followed was a moment of silence in which no one spoke. So far things had not been going well, usually, there was at least be one unanimous agreement by the Justice League so far like there had been for Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, John Stewart, Zatara and Black Canary. But that had not been the case, every suggestion had been argued against quite vehemently by someone else.
That was when Batman moved, pressing the screen and a holographic image of Maelstrom appeared on the screen. There were no words that needed to be said, yet the table was filled with muttering, a multitude of reactions ranging from the agreement to confusion, to shaking their heads. Much like every choice before, this option did not seem to be a unanimous agreement.
"Maelstrom?" Hawkman noted curiously. "Eighteen, highly skilled, very mature and has proven himself as a capable leader during his tenure as leader of the team. Yet also, formerly known as Marauder in which he aided with the stealing of Kryptonite and also Black Hood, a former vigilante that killed any criminal he encountered."
"And as we saw in the latest incident in Gotham has taken to killing once more." John Stewart finished off and before muttering could fill the room once more, he continued. "Why this decision?"
Every hero in the Justice League had suggested at one point in time, oftentimes more than once over the course of their many meetings. Yet Batman was one of the few that did not make many suggestions and those he did, were often the best choice to go with. A decision like this, one that was going to be contested going by a myriad of reactions his image had caused, was out of character for Batman.
"He's the only one that matters to the future of the Justice League." Batman's words were short and simple, clarifying no further, not that any had expected any differently.
Batman was a man of few words.
"The future of the Justice League?" Flash questioned dubiously. "Forgive me, but I find that hard to believe. Have we all forgotten what Hawkman just said? He aided in the stealing of Kryptonite. He was Black Hood, a vigilante known for the use of lethal force and in his last fight, fought off a hundred guys. Out of those, only twenty-six survived. I'm afraid that I can't quite grasp as to how inviting a known murder would aid in our image problem."
This sparked arguments, but Superman remained silent, turning to Batman. The two men, friends and equals despite their very different upbringings stared at one another. An unspoken conversation passed between them and Superman eventually nodded his head with a sigh, able to see that his friend would not budge upon this issue and while he questioned the sense behind it, trusted Batman.
"Did we become heroes for the image?" And as soon as Superman spoke, the arguments died down. "I didn't, I became a hero because it was the right thing to do. I had powers that have made many worship me as a God. But I never saw myself as such, I am a Kryptonian, and a boy from Kansas, one raised to use my powers for good. All of us have different stories and tales to tell, but we all share one common goal, to save those less fortunate and aid those in need."
This was the effect that Superman had on the Justice League, one that made him their leader. It was not any showcase of great strength or godlike power. Words. Charisma. When Superman spoke, it was from the heart and when he acted it was to set an example of what a hero should be.
"We each have our own stories and histories. Our pasts are our own should we chose to keep it that way. Our pasts may mould us into who we are today, but it should not define who we are." Superman finished, looking around at the gathered heroes.
After a few moments of silence, Red Tornado spoke up. "I agree. Maelstrom would be an excellent choice for the Justice League." His monotonous voice spoke. "Certainly his past and current actions do raise concerns, but I do believe that going forward, extending an invitation to Maelstrom would be the best decision to make."
"How so?" Captain Atom pressed, arms crossed over his chest.
"I have learned that one of the greatest concerns the citizens of Earth have raised is what happens when we retire? Just like the Justice Society of America, heroes will grow old and retire, some will endure injuries that force them to retire earlier than others and others will be killed in the line of duty. That is a fact we are all aware of due to our line of work. There are a few who will be unaffected by the passing of time, such as me, but how long till they become the villains they fight against?" The final part of Red Tornados speech sparked a great deal of outrage.
"What are you trying to say, huh?" Hawkgirl angrily shouted, slamming her fist down on the table, similar words and rebuttals sent Red Tornado's words who endured them silently.
Only to continue when Martian Manhunter spoke up. "As wrong as Red Tornados words were presented, they are not wrong. The people of Earth fear what will happen when we retire. Who will replace us? Who will replace Superman?" The Martian gave only a slight pause to let it settle in. "Certainly inviting older heroes like Alan Scott would be good and draw public interest away from our recent failings. But inviting young and recognisable heroes like Maelstrom and Red Arrow would be better in the long term."
"But we are ignoring their faults." Aquaman pointed out, pointedly looking to the image of Maelstrom as he did.
"I think you're focusing upon the wrong thing." Black Canary interrupted, leaning forwards as she did. "Are Naruto's actions questionable and unnecessary? Yes, but are they understandable? I say yes, yes they are. But one thing you're completely ignoring is who Naruto is as a person."
"And who is he then?" John Stewart questioned.
Black Canary didn't answer right away, taking a moment to find the words necessary to describe the individual she had grown to understand. "Naruto, he is a difficult young man, to say the least. He comes from a rough background, yet he remains good. There are many with far better pasts than his who have fallen on the path of villainy. Yet no matter how misguided or wrong, his actions have been, Naruto has done them with good intentions. To protect those he loves and cares for."
"In the time I have known him, he has proven himself to be one of the most determined, stubborn and hard-working individuals I have ever met. Whereas the rest of the team only had to focus upon mandatory training and were then allowed to do what they wished outside of missions, Naruto pushed himself to the limits. When he wasn't with me, organising training sessions, he was leading them. When he wasn't leading them, he was pushing himself to the limits. He would spend hours after a mission, going over every mistake he and his team made and documenting them, implementing those mistakes into the next training sessions so that they wouldn't repeat them. And when he wasn't doing all that, he'd research every villain we'd ever encountered, coming up with ways to beat them without and without the team."
Black Canary's words caused a few to nod along, those who had met and known Naruto before this moment. Others were left surprised, though calm as they listened to her words.
"Naruto is a hardworking, determined, dedicated individual who upon setting himself a goal, will not stop till he achieves it. He's someone who is willing to risk his life for those he cares about, and risk his humanity for them as well." Black Canary seemed to finish, a frown coming onto her face as she leaned back. "But I think we're asking the wrong question. We shouldn't be asking whether Naruto would be a good fit for the Justice League, but whether he would agree to join us?"
Tuesday 25th November, 13:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Closing the door to Hanks room, having helped to replace the bandages around his body, Barbara then made her way towards Naruto's room. Hank for the last few days had been in and out of consciousness, no more than an hour or two at a time, but his condition was improving. He still hadn't spoken a word, nor did he seem capable of moving just yet, but he was getting better.
None of them had informed him of the difficult news at this time, whether they were too scared or just wanting Hank to recover first being the reasoning, she couldn't say. Either way, the result would not be a happy one and Barbara was not looking forward to it.
Naruto on the other hand had been unmoving, almost in a coma-like state. Physically, both externally and internally he was fine. Despite that, he had still shown no signs of awakening. So when she opened the door to his room, she had not been expecting the sight of a half-naked Naruto looking out the window.
A gasp escaped her lips and Naruto turned, but Barbara remained rooted to where she stood. Reflexively, both hands came to her lips to stifle the noise and even with her vision blurring as tears gathered, she could see Naruto turn to her.
"Hey." He murmured.
Those words broke the dam and a flood of emotions filled her, the weight of which was crushing. As if her strings had been cut, Barbara collapsed to her knees and released a low sob. A sound that onto grew louder when she felt Naruto crouch down beside her, arms wrapping around her waist and embracing her.
"Shh, I'm okay." He whispered comfortingly. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
Sniffling lightly, Barbara smacked him across the chest. "You asshole." And in response Naruto chuckled, lips pressing against her temple. Wrapping her arms around him, Barbara squeezed tightly, ensuring that he would not go anywhere. "Thank god you're okay."
Tuesday 25th November, 13:05.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Hearing a loud moan come from upstairs, the downstairs occupants of Jason Bloods home paused in what they were doing. More than a few looks shared before Jason let out a rueful chuckle and with a wave of his hand, the sounds went quiet.
"Though I am pleased to see Naruto is awake, I think I can speak for all of us when I say I have no intention of listening." Ted raised his glass of beer in agreement, a relieved smile coming onto his face. Rose meanwhile looked quietly down at her steaming cup of coffee, torn between both pleased and displeased at what she had heard.
Though she quickly looked up when an open can of beer was placed in front of her. "I've had enough of it anyway," Ted said, taking her cup of coffee for himself. He'd seen the look on her face, recognised it as well from his youth and his son, Tommy Bronson.
Hesitantly, Rose looked to him, eyes narrowing in questioning, trying to see if there was any ulterior motive. But there was none, Ted just silently sipping the coffee, grimacing slightly at the clashing of taste with the excess bear in his mouth. And so, Rose took the beer and chugged the contents, earning a few chuckles when she pulled the can away, smacking her lips in disgust at the taste.
How people enjoyed this she had no clue.
Tuesday 25th November, 14:45.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Breathing heavily, Barbara collapsed onto Naruto's chest, both of their bodies slick with sweat. "Not bad for a cripple, aye?" Naruto teased and Barbara let out a little giggle, rolling off his chest, Naruto turning to spoon her.
"I've missed you," Barbara murmured, kissing him lightly, something Naruto returned. Despite the aching of her lower body, Barbara was more than eager for more, hands turning to run through his hair, pulling him down deeper as she twisted to face him once more. Yet before this could once again deepen into something further, Naruto pulled away, the meaning of her words hitting him. "What?"
"Wait, how long have I been out?"
Blowing out some air to get a trail of hair out of her face, Barbara sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover her naked breasts. "Fourteen days." Naruto tensed at that, sitting up fully as he looked at her in shock.
"Two weeks?" He repeated and Barbara silently nodded her head, turning to him. "Jesus Christ! I-I-I thought it was only a day or two at most."
"I'm sorry, I…"
Naruto shook his head. "You don't need to apologise. I just, I'm shocked. I had no idea. Has anything happened during that time?"
"There was an incident with Queen Bee allying herself with Qurac. Just as you might imagine, however, she was controlling him and her guards with Apokoliptian tech." That made Naruto frown, pulling Barbara to him. "But that's it, there's been nothing else since then, it's been quiet."
"That's it?" Naruto asked dubiously and Barbara nodded her head, both falling back onto the bed. "Is Hank okay? What about Rose?"
"Both okay. Hanks in the other room, his injuries have slightly healed, he's no longer in critical condition anymore and he's been in and out of consciousness for the last few days. Rose was perfectly fine except a few cuts and bruises."
Naruto released a sigh of relief. "Thank god." He uttered quietly, looking up to the ceiling. But that feeling of relief soon disappeared, a lump forming in his throat. "And Don?"
The silence he received was all the answer he needed.
Seeing his reaction, Barbara decided to change the subject. "Rose is downstairs if you want to see her?" Naruto looked to Barbara and then to the door. "I know that you and she were close, so I just thought that you'd want to know she was safe and nearby if you wanted to speak to her?"
"She's safe? That's good, but I think I'm comfortable right where I am for now." That made Barbara smile.
"I just, I just wanted you to know, I know that you and she were, well…"
Naruto looked at her, brow raised questioningly. "Wait. What? Did you think of me and Rose were…? We weren't dating or anything like that. Yes, I care about her, but it's purely platonic."
'Maybe to you.' Barbara thought, shaking her head in disbelief at just how oblivious Naruto was. Then again she shouldn't be surprised, he'd been completely unaware of her feeling for him since they were kids so it was nice to know that some things would never change. No matter how challenging life had been, there were just some things about Naruto that could never change. "I have no problem if you were, I mean, well I dated a few guys while you were gone."
Naruto nodded his head, he remembered that, Deathstroke had taken great pleasure in training a younger, angry and jealous Naruto. "I know. Deathstroke showed me pictures. But I want you to know that me and Rose, we never did anything."
Barbara nodded her head, believing him. "And I want you to know that I did nothing with them. Didn't even hold their hand or let them kiss me or anything like that. I didn't want them thinking I was overly interested or simply playing hard to get. Though in hindsight, I probably should have just locked myself in my room and ignored the world."
That made Naruto give a short laugh. "Hindsight's a wonderful thing."
"Isn't it?" Barbara agreed. "Though I do have to say Jim threatening to shoot Tom was the best thing to happen."
"Wait, what?" The look of shock on his face made Barbara burst into peals of giggles. "Jim threatened to shoot Tom? Man, that's awesome, I wish I could have seen it." For a few moments, the two laid there laughing and joking about the whole thing before eventually, they began to calm down. "If we're on the path of confessions, I have to say that I sort of, kind of slept with Killer Frost. There was no emotion and it was a mistake that I regret, I just didn't want there to be this whole awkward moment where you find out and misunderstood what happened."
"Naruto, I already know," Barbara told him, a slight frown on her face. Not at Naruto, but the reminder of Killer Frost.
"You do?"
"She told me and Rose before we came to help you. She was very pleased with herself."
And Naruto, in a momentary bout of stupidity and lack of forethought didn't quite think through the next words to come out of his mouth. "Well, I am quite good." Barbara looked to him, a brow raised and the frown deepening. "Shit! I didn't, sorry."
"Really?" Shaking her head, Barbara turned away, but not without giving a little jab in his direction, giving just as well as she got. "You're not even that good."
It took a little while for the meaning of her words to sink in, Naruto's mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "W-what? What bullshit is that?!" Grabbing Barbara by her hip he spun back to face him, the big smile on her face told him she was enjoying his reaction very much. "You just, you're not even angry are you?"
"Oh I am, very much so," Barbara admitted, trying to stifle her amusement and only managing a half-smile, half-frown. It was a lie, both knew it and besides, why did Barbara need to be jealous. He was hers and she was his, Killer Frost was nowhere to be seen and would not be included in the equation at all. She loved Naruto, that much she knew. That meant she loved everything good about him and everything not so good about him and his lack of forethought at times was one of the faults she loved about him. Besides, at this moment in time she was just glad to have him awake and laughing despite the loss of a friend.
"Liar," Naruto murmured, leaning down to kiss her on the lips only kissing her cheeks when Barbara turned her head away. "Don't bullshit me." Instead of trying to kiss her lips again, Naruto instead began peppering the side of her cheek, slowly moving down to her neck.
"I'm very very angry." A slight gasp escaped her when Naruto nipped at the skin of her neck.
"Really?"
"Ye-yes."
Tuesday 25th November, 19:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
It was cool, the sun had already set and the stars shining. Even now, the sun was still falling but Rose remained seated in nothing more than a pair of sweatpants and a short-sleeved shirt. The adaptive capabilities of her serum working to increase her body temperature to combat the cold.
Releasing a sigh, Rose kicked her, the small pile of snow that had gathered on the tip of boots falling to the ground below, just missing a few passersby. 'Why am I still here?' She questioned internally.
Naruto was okay, that much she knew for certain. Had heard the extent of his recovery before Jason silenced the sound with magic. Despite that, she had been in to see him previously when he was still unconscious, at least three times a day to make sure he was okay and he was perfectly fine. Well, he was still in a coma, but physically, he was in perfect health so the excuse that she was waiting to make sure he would be okay was no longer viable.
So why had she stuck around?
Honestly, Rose had no clue. She had done plenty of jobs with Slade since becoming his sole heir and with it, had gained a small fortune with which she could quite easily pay for an apartment. Plus, she could always go to another city and sell her skills to one of the local crime bosses, she'd heard that Blüdhaven, a former suburb of Gotham that had recently begun to develop into a small city in its own right was recently suffering a serious crime wave and was considered by some to be worse than Gotham or at least well on the way to being worse.
That alone meant there would be plenty of opportunities for her to make a living. Yet she also knew that her father would not let such a profitable venture like Blüdhaven escape him either and as proven with her fight with Naruto, she was nowhere near ready enough to face him yet.
Perhaps that was the reason she stayed because she had nowhere else to go? But even that was a flimsy excuse, that much she knew.
"Here you are." Glancing over her shoulder, Rose tensed up when she saw Naruto walking towards her. He was clad much like her, in far too little clothing for such cold weather yet appearing entirely unbothered as he sipped from a can of coke. "Mind if I sit?"
Rose didn't answer, just looking away which Naruto took as a yes and after brushing off some snow, sat down beside her. Silence descended between them, broken only by the occasional sound of Naruto sipping from his can as they looked out over the city. She was thankful for that, Rose honestly didn't want to be thanked for what she did.
The other young heroes had done so, Barbara especially and she hadn't liked it then. Sure it was alright for them, but they had no idea what she had sacrificed to do what she had.
Slade had given her this mission despite Sofia having asked for him. Eager to prove herself on her first solo mission, Rose had agreed well aware that there was a possibility she might encounter Naruto. But she had been confident in her skills to beat him or at least force him to retreat, which in her eyes at the time would have been one in the same.
The mission was a test, Rose had realised that quite early on, but it was only when she had been told by her father to go along with Talon's plan to betray Sofia that Rose had questioned what was happening. She thought that she had an idea however the only time she realised what was truly happening was when Talon had ambushed Naruto.
This mission was a test to see if she could cast aside her attachments and kill Naruto, or at the very least stand aside and do nothing. Rose had tried, torn between helping him and doing as her father wanted.
Eventually, though, her conscience won out and she leapt in to help him. None of the heroes knew that by doing so, she had proven her father right, that she was not worthy to be his heir. The text message she received mere minutes after the Justice League came to help proved that she had failed.
All he had done was put her name in a message.
Not Rose Wilson, not her father's name.
But Rose Worth, her mother's name.
"Rose." Naruto eventually said and her lips reflexively twisted into a frown, just expecting the thank you. "I'm sorry." Eyes widening, Rose remained rooted to the spot, staring down at the ground as she tried to comprehend what he had said.
"W-what?"
"I'm so sorry." He repeated calmly. "I'm not going to pretend like I understand what you're feeling, but I know what you gave up for me." Naruto while not completely able to predict Slade's line of thinking, had a pretty good idea from his own personal experiences and from the analyses other heroes who had encountered Deathstroke had given him. From those, Naruto knew that Rose would not be welcomed back after this stunt, not after her previous failures to him when he had been Marauder.
"And for that, I am truly sorry."
Rose shook her head. "Don't be." She replied tiredly. "I decided to make the decision and I'll live with it."
"I know you will." Naruto agreed. "But you know you don't have to do it on your own." Rose looked at him questioningly. "Well, you might not know this, but Batman's being, was paying me to lead the team and train them in how the world properly works. So I've got quite a bit of money stored up, on top of what I stole from Black Mask so I was going to buy an apartment in Gotham. Just a small one, but you're welcome to crash there if you want."
"You're going to buy an apartment? Why not just stay here?"
Naruto gave a mirthless smile. "I think I've mooched off Jason a little too long. He says that I'm welcome to stay for however long I want, but I think I need a place of my own."
"And you'd let me stay? What about your girlfriend, would she be happy with that?" Naruto looked at her in confusion.
"Why wouldn't she be?"
For a moment, Rose didn't answer but upon realising Naruto was serious shook her head. 'I guess I should have expected that.' Even so, Rose couldn't shake the disappointment and sadness she felt at his words. "I'll think about it."
He truly was oblivious.
Sunday 30th November, 09:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
Ducking his head to one side, Naruto avoided the upward swipe of Rose's wooden blade and gripped her wrist tightly so she couldn't bring it down on him. At the same time, he picked up the sound of movement coming from behind him and lashed out with a sidekick that Ted managed to block with a cross-guard. Even so, the force was strong enough that the older man skidded back.
However, when he looked away from his throbbing hands he reflexively reached out to catch Rose that was thrown his way. As soon as he did, Ted realised that it had been a cover-up, a disguise for Naruto's roundhouse kick that was coming straight for his temple.
Yet before it struck, it came to a stop mere inches from his head, a slight breeze rushing across his sweat-drenched face as he stood there panting for breath with eyes closed. Hesitantly he opened his eyes to see Naruto lowering his leg and Ted eventually released a tired breath, unceremoniously dropping Rose to the ground as he fell back onto his backside who let out a cry of shock.
"You've finally got the hang of it then?" Ted noted, sucking in deep breaths to recover. It was times like the past few weeks that had proved that while incredibly fit for his age he had long since passed his prime.
No serum, no powers, just pure human physicality and while Ted would admit to having accomplished a great deal in his life, he had finally reached his limits. His skills had never been sharper, but his body's strength, speed, stamina agility, reflexes and durability were deteriorating.
Still a dangerous threat in his own right, Ted could admit that he was just too old now. 'Though I think even in my prime, I would have struggled to beat Naruto as he is now. He truly has improved massively.'
"Yeah," Naruto replied, looking down at his hands as Rose pushed herself to her feet with a huff of annoyance at being beaten so easily, being dropped on her head was just the icing on the proverbial cake. "I struggled before but now, everything's just so clear. I finally understand what you meant when you said that I needed to hone all my senses to truly become a master fighter. I can smell your scent easily, hear the sound of your heartbeat, your footsteps, your breathing. Can feel the displacement of air against my skin as you go to hit me."
As Rose made her way from the two men, Ted nodded his head, he too had felt a similar way when he finally learned to fight in a similar fashion, it was a surreal experience. "Then you've done it. You've broken past your limit, you'll find that I have nothing left to teach you. The only way to grow stronger from here is experience."
"Oi, Naruto!" Both men looked to where Rose was sat on the steps, a bottle of water in her hands and a phone in her hand. "You've got a message."
"What have I told you about going through my phone?" He asked exasperatedly as he walked towards her.
"It's not like I know your password, you keep changing it."
Catching the phone thrown his way, Naruto look down at the message notification, it was from an unknown number. "Precisely because you keep breaking into my phone." Unlocking his phone, Naruto sat down beside her and read through the message. As soon as he did a frown came onto his face and Naruto switched it off, a long, drawn-out sight escaping his lips as he leaned back.
"Who was it from?" Rose asked.
"No one important." Shrugging her shoulders, Rose went back to drinking her water as Naruto stared up at the ceiling in thought. 'What could he possibly want to speak to me about? And why now?'
Sunday 30th November, 10:30.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Gotham Heights.
"Is it wise to go meeting him?" Barbara asked dubiously, stood beside Naruto on the roof of a business building in downtown Gotham. There were both dressed casually as they leaned against the side of the building watching the helicopter come in closer. "You know it's likely a trap, right?"
"I'm aware." Naruto agreed loudly closing his eyes as the wind picked up by the propellers of the helicopter got in his eyes. "But I need to confront him and if it comes to blows, then I'm confident in our ability to get out of there. Plus, I didn't come alone this time did I?"
Barbara gave a little half-frown/smile at that as they moved towards the helicopter, a worker in the building rushing to open the door for them both. Certainly, in the past Naruto would have dealt with this on his own, wouldn't have even considered asking for help from anyone. Not because he didn't think they could help, but simply because he was too stubborn or just acted without thinking.
His career as Black Hood was marked with similar acts many times and was one of the reasons he struggled immensely. But now, Barbara liked to think that while maybe it could happen again, that part of himself was suitably tamed enough to ask for help more times than he wouldn't.
Climbing into the helicopter and sitting in one of the seats, both pulled on a pair of headphones, the door sliding shut behind them. They waited for a few moments as the worker rushed back inside before the pilot took off.
"Wintergreen, it's been a while."
"That it has Naruto." The friend and manservant of Deathstroke replied.
Sunday 30th November, 13:00
Florida,
Location Unknown.
As the helicopter was switched off, both Barbara and Naruto made their way inside the large home that greeted them. Naruto took the lead, with calm steps, Barbara hanging behind him slightly as they made their way towards the entrance. For Naruto, this place brought back memories and was no doubt the reason this location was chosen for their meeting in the first place.
Slade was a man who planned meticulously and accounted for every possible factor that could be both advantageous and disadvantageous to him. No doubt this place was chosen as a means to gain some sort of psychological edge over him, Naruto wouldn't put it past the infamous mercenary.
Sadly, Slade would be disappointed at the lack of results he would get.
"Naruto." Slade greeted simply as both he and Barbara entered through the sliding glass doors and into the well-furnished and expensive open kitchen. Barbara would always find it strange, the image of Deathstroke the Terminator sat at a breakfast bar and drinking a glass of Orange juice while eating a bowl of what she guessed was porridge. Not that she would ever laugh, even such a simple and strange sight did not make Slade any less intimidating. "And I see you're not alone."
Intimidating enough that even as he drank the orange juice and stared her down that Barbara shifted uncomfortably. There was just something in his gaze that put her off like he was both acknowledging and dismissing her presence at the same time.
"You didn't honestly think I'd come alone, did you?" Naruto on the other hand was entirely unaffected by Slade, or at least appeared to be to her.
"I thought you might." Slade returned easily
"I've changed." Naruto's words were met with a short laugh as Slade rose to his feet, the door leading outside shutting as Wintergreen entered the room. "Well, I'll overlook it this time. Wintergreen, would you mind seeing to it that Barbara Gordon here is looked after? Naruto, I wasn't lying when I said our conversation needed to be private. There are some things I don't feel comfortable sharing with too many people."
That made both Barbara and Naruto share a glance. What was so important that Slade was going to tell them that made him so uncomfortable and wary. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say to Barbara, she can be trusted."
"How sweet." Slade dryly retorted. "But I don't."
Seeing the way this was going to go down, Barbara placed one hand on Naruto's arm, giving it a light squeeze. "Naruto, it's okay. I'll wait here." She didn't like the idea of Naruto going alone with Slade in the slightest, but she was confident that if this did turn out to be a trap that Naruto would be able to get away from Slade.
However despite her words, Naruto was still torn, something Slade also picked up on. "If you're worried about this being a trap, don't be. You won't believe me if I tell you that I haven't been hired, but I'll say it anyway, I haven't and I don't go out of my way to start a fight without there be some profit in it for me. A fight with you at this time has none. Besides, it would be far simpler and easier for me to kill you on your journey here than it would be here. So if you don't trust my word, trust my professionalism."
That seemed to do the trick, Naruto looking like he swallowed something particularly sour as he nodded his head. Giving her one last look, Naruto and Slade left the room, leaving her and Wintergreen in silence.
Sunday 30th November, 13:10.
Florida,
Location Unknown.
Sitting down in the comfortable leather chair on the other side of the desk, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest gaze warily scanning the room just to be sure. Slade remained silent as he did, allowing Naruto his moment of paranoia to pass by.
"Satisfied." Naruto didn't respond giving Slade all the answers he needed. "Now…"
"Before we begin," keeping his face calm, Slade leaned back and stared at his former apprentice. "I want you to leave Rose alone. She made her decision and that alone is tearing her apart. She doesn't need you trying to kill her on top of that."
"Naruto, she is not worth the time nor the effort to hunt down and kill." Slade calmly said, fully aware that while what Naruto wanted, was said in a way that made Naruto grit his teeth in anger. "She is a failure and therefore, I have washed my hands of her. If she pursues the career of a hero or a mercenary or even a villain and I am hired by an employee who conflicts with her, then I will treat her as I would any other obstacle. If she decides to settle down and have a normal life and I do happen to come across her and she is not in my way, then I will ignore her."
It was what Naruto wanted, but the dismissive way in which Slade talked about his daughter made Naruto clench his fists tightly. However, he bit his tongue, fighting the urge to say anything more towards Slade in case it might spark Slade to go back on his words.
"Okay." He eventually got out between grit teeth. "What did you want?"
"Are you aware of your families history? The Uzumaki clan and your connection to the Kin of Kurama?" Naruto nodded his head. "That's good, saves me the bother of spending time talking over those points."
"How do you know them?" Naruto pressed, once again interrupting Slade.
Far from annoyed, the older man calmly looked at the blonde. "When I am hired for a mission, I spend my time meticulously researching not just my targets, but also my employers."
"Are you saying you were hired to target me?" That made Naruto tense up, slowly rising out of his seat.
"I am saying that I was." He stressed the last part and Naruto didn't relax in the slightest. "Come now Naruto, why would I, the best mercenary in the world take an interest in a young vigilante from Gotham? For talent? Please, Rose, Barbara and the Boy Wonder, Richard Grayson have far more talent than you. Your dedication and work ethic? Certainly impressive and the reason you reached such heights, but hardly something that would make me take you on as a student."
That wasn't to say Naruto didn't have talent, he did. The ability to adapt and improvise in battle the way he did was a talent not many possessed nor could use effectively. However, the fact was, if one could separate talent into tiers, tier one would be below average. Tier two average and tier three above average. Tier four for those who would later become elite level athletes and five would be reserved for these individuals that were just freaks of nature.
However, one thing that separated Naruto, a tier-three talent at the best from the rest, was his never-ending drive to grow stronger. He cared a great deal for the people around him and that pushed him to strive higher and higher no matter how difficult the road ahead of him might be.
No matter what challenges lay before, no matter how many times he was knocked down. Naruto would keep getting back up and continue to march forwards. Slade in the time in which he had trained Naruto had laid witness to just how terrifying Naruto's drive was – something he had never considered before and something he would have completely overlooked – and that was when through sheer force of effort, broke through the barrier between tier three and four.
It was an unnatural phenomenon, one that shouldn't be possible, yet Naruto had accomplished the impossible. Something that Slade would have never witnessed had it not been for him being hired to take Naruto on as a student. (AN: For a little more information on this, I suggest reading The Boxer by JH on Webtoons, more specifically about the boxer, Yuto Takeda. That should give you a better understanding of what Slade is talking about).
"What are you saying?" Naruto asked, hesitantly sitting back down in his seat.
"I'm saying that I was hired to take you on as a student. To train you and then, deliver you to Cadmus where you would undergo experimentation to unlock your Demonic heritage." Slade explained. "You were being groomed, to be a slave, a mindless killing machine."
Naruto scoffed, honestly unsure whether to take him seriously. Perhaps part of him was scared that this was the truth, or perhaps it was just another lie, Naruto had no clue. "You expect me to believe this?"
"I expect you to use your head." Slade calmly answered. "Look me in the eye, see if I'm lying."
Naruto did so and saw nothing, Slade believed every word he had said and Naruto didn't know how to feel about that. Scared? Oh most definitely, who wouldn't be after being told that? And so, Naruto got to his feet and made his way towards the door, needing a moment to get some fresh air and think.
"Naruto, I wouldn't leave just yet." Slade called, mistaking Naruto's intent as to leave. Naruto continued on, completely ignoring him and Slade couldn't allow that. Not when it wasn't just Naruto at threat, but also himself. Slade had done his research, contacting various people in the world of the occult who owed him favours and gathering information.
His employer while not overly dangerous, who he worked for was a serious threat to everyone. So he used something that he knew would gain Naruto's attention completely.
"Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?"
So here we are, another chapter is done and with it, things are finally starting to get a little darker and more emotional. Tbh, this book will have a lot of lighthearted moments while still delving into the dark grittiness of DC comics and the world in general. However, it will be nowhere on the level of the previous book nor will it be on the level of the books to come. But, after the big action scene, we got a few emotional scenes and a cliffhanger which won't be answered until the next arc.
Now I'd say we're about one possibly two chapters away from finishing the Young Justice Season 1 arc, not sure for certain. It depends on how the final battle plays out, but who knows, could be moving onto the Time Skip Arc very, very soon.
Also, just a little side note, I think a lot of you have forgotten what the purpose of this side arc was. It wasn't to get better at using his powers, it was to get better as a fighter so that he wouldn't need to constantly rely upon them. We saw the extent to which he had grown during his Grundy fight. So having Naruto unlock four tails would defeat the purpose of this side arc. The Zone is a state people like Batman unlock every time they go into a fight. Without it, Naruto can and will never be able to match them in a fight. So by unlocking the Zone, Naruto has stepped into the realm of top tier martial artists and now has the ability to fight strong beings without the need for his powers. Again, unlocking four tails, as good as that would be have been, was and has never been the purpose of this side arc.
Anyway, let's get in with the questions:
Sultan Asil Arslan: Read my response up above, it will explain the four tails situation.
More violence? Naruto was cutting people in half, snapping necks and crushing bodies. Every touch from his cloak was melting bodies and by the end of it, the only ones still alive were Bronze Tiger, Deadshot and Talon. The rests are Undead Talons and Solomon Grundy which aren't alive. And he was outnumbered and surrounded. Every time he attacked one person, he was attacked in turn by dozens of more assailants. As for meeting Gods soon? No, in the future. Yes. Same again for higher beings Mr Mxyptzlk.
Genesis09: For the four tails issue, read my response above. And you're right, Rose is in a difficult situation right now. But no matter which option she chooses, it was going to haunt her either way.
WalkerFRD: You're not the only one who has expressed disappointment in how the fight ended, but I've explained the reasoning above so please go check that out. It'll explain why I've done what I've done.
Stoneprice: The Undead Talons have been enhanced greatly from what they were previously. This is thanks to Klarion and all the other resources the Light have access to. Therefore, they not only are much faster, stronger and more durable, they also regenerate at a pace equivalent to that of Solomon Grundy. As for the Bronze Tiger thing, again, we saw that his gloves had been covered in a red glow and as explained in this chapter, his clothing was enhanced greatly. This is a little indicator of just how effective magic can be.
Secondly, it was more equivalent to a small company, about just over a hundred men overall. So look at it this way, Naruto went into a fight against around a hundred men, only the Undead Talons (20 in total), Ravager Solomon Grundy, Bronze Tiger, Talon, Deadshot and Klarion came out alive, the rest of them were killed by Naruto.
As for the Hawk-Dove thing. They were both maintaining their powers, forgive me for the confusion on that point. Both were maintaining their powers, but the way to look at it is this. Dove had extremely fatal injuries that even with his powers would kill him in a matter of hours if he was lucky to live that long. Hawk on the other hand had gone through days of torture and dealt enough injuries that his healing ability failed him. Both were on the verge of death, but Hank was unable to move or awaken, effectively in a coma while Dove was the only one conscious and able to move. As explained in this chapter, it was Dove's selfless act that enabled Hank to live, if not, both would have died.
indori Uchiha: Pretty much yeah, just slightly less OP, but still enough to make top tier martial artists a dangerous threat in any situation.
Lord Suryansh: I'm glad you like it a lot of people have been disappointed with the reveal of the Zone. Yeah, Dawn being Dove won't be an immediate thing. It won't come about for this arc at all. As for the Talon having a portion of Naruto's powers, yeah I can see that being like Kabuto and Orochimaru, but I was more thinking along the lines of Sora, Kinkaku and Ginkaku. As for Mecha Naruto, I have to admit, you've read my mind as it's something I've been considering for a while now. And just as I submit this I have already decided to confirm that yes, Mecha Naruto will be making an appearance eventually.
Yakuza2010: They will, but Hank will take much longer considering how close they were. As for Hank, not right away, Extant will be happening eventually but not right away. As for YJ, well as you can see in this chapter there has been quite a large time jump and there will be another one.
There's not much Naruto can do in the episodes to come and to be honest, these next episodes are character-centric. Introducing Naruto would kind of defeat the purpose of what those characters go through as it would take away from their journeys. As for Talon, he's done and tbh, outside of Killer Frost and Deadshot, I wouldn't call any of his Suicide Squad teammates friends. Even then, Deadshot and Killer Frost aren't friends either, more like friendly acquaintances.