The Zenko of the DC
Chapter 6: Taking Up Shop
Naruto was currently walking along the sidewalk of Gotham city in the daytime while dressed casually under his disguise with Kurama walking alongside him and Sigmis was perched on his shoulder. It has been about a month since he and the other heroes and heroines saved the earth from the alien invasion then later came together to form the justice league with the sole purpose of protecting the planet earth and at times other planets. The knowledge of other planets existing outside the earth really boggled Naruto and at times had himself wondering if the same could be applied to the elemental nations.
"Things are rather peaceful, don't you think so Kurama?" thought Naruto.
"Rather boring if you ask me, I know crimes is in abundance here in Gotham especially at night but it's pretty much the regulars with only the big ones showing up rarely," said Kurama via their mind link which Sigmis could also connect with but has yet to speak to either of them.
"True but I've yet to run into guys like the Joker and Bane, thought they would be targeting me, given that I'm now affiliated with Batman,"
"Well the brooder did tell us that they are of the cunning variety, so they might to find out any sort of vulnerability before striking," said Kurama, then he smirked "Like they can,"
"Maybe so, but we shouldn't underestimate any of them,"
"Hmph, if you say so," the fox simply scoffed with Naruto shaking his head at the cockiness of the fox, by now he thought to have stopped underestimating enemies he has yet to meet.
They continued to walk, occasionally glancing at the regular activities around them. Suddenly they heard a woman scream from behind them to see a lady screaming after a man running away with a purse in his hands, getting the idea of what's going on.
"Stop thief, give back my purse!" shouted the distressed woman, but she was ignored and no one even tried to stop the thief further increasing her despair.
Naruto frowned at this and patiently waited for the thug to pass by him then quickly reached up to grab him by the back of the collar and pull him back strongly, the thug turned to shake himself free but a fist slammed into his face with an audible crack being heard by those close, losing consciousness and getting a broken nose as a bonus. Naruto crouched low to pick up the purse and turned towards the woman run up to him with a look of relief as she took the purse from him.
"Thank you very much for stopping him!" said the woman gratefully.
Naruto smiled and waved his hand "No thanks needed, I just did what I had to do to help," he glanced at the thug on the ground with a small frown then brought out his phone to call the police "I'll get the cops to take care of this guy soon enough," later on the Gotham police arrived acquired their report before carrying the thug away, Naruto bade the lady farewell and resumed on their walk though Kurama noticed that he was deep in thought and decided to speak up.
"Hey kit, what's got your head up in the clouds?" asked Kurama, Sigmis chirped in agreement with the fox.
"I've been thinking of moving out of Gotham to another city," thought Naruto.
Kurama quirked an eyebrow at his partner's response "What makes you want to do that?"
"Well…sure there's lots of crimes in the city both day and night, but I kinda feel squeezed in with Batman and his team having this place as their turf and all. In other words, I wanna get a turf of my own ya know?"
"I get what you mean, personally I can still tell that he doesn't really trust you entirely especially since he has little info about you which is obvious since we didn't exactly originate here. But since we're in justice league, you would be going to lots of places,"
"True, but a main base of my own sounds a bit nicer to the ears," thought Naruto.
"If you say so, maybe one more run before moving house?"
Naruto thought for a moment before nodding in agreement "Sure thing, I'll get back to the apartment to make our travel plans and have a small discussion with the landlord too,"
Later on as the sun had set to mark the beginning of the night, Naruto had made the necessary preparations and made a phone call to the director of the publishing house about his relocation to which said person told him to be sure to send his new mailing address after he had settled in. Naruto made his way up to the top of the roof and used his senses to make sure that there was no one around to see him then he went behind the large air vent and used a smoke pellet to hide before changing into his hero outfit with Sigmis tucking into his hood as usual while Kurama was within the seal for a nap.
The hooded ninja took to leaping along the rooftops to pretty much random directions towards wherever he feels like something interesting might happen but paying attention to the radio chatter from his earpiece just in case. Naruto was in midair from a jump between roofs when his ears picked up the sounds of a police car from a couple blocks away from his position and was also hearing the sounds of gunshots as well. With a smirk behind the mask, Naruto raced towards the sources of the sounds and easily intercepted them via roof jumping, he looked down below at the streets to see a police cruiser pursuing a black convertible with one of the thugs firing at the police. Naruto was about to jump in to help when he saw someone else chasing after the convertible and recognized it to be Robin.
"Looks like one of Batman's partners is already on the scene, might as well drop in to lend a hand and say hi," said Naruto, he jumped of the roof to the streets before firing a chakra chain to swing after them. He saw Robin land on the trunk of the vehicle and the thugs aimed their guns at him to fire but the young hero jumped and flipped around skillfully to avoid the shots whilst kicking the guns out of their hands much to their anger before attempting to grab him. Naruto somersaulted in the air and took out a couple of shuriken at the rear tires to blow them up, causing the convertible to get out of control. Robin jumped off and used his grappling hook to swing away and land on the street as the car crashed into a lamppost then he turned to see Naruto land next to him.
"Fancy seeing you here Zenko," said Robin.
"I was in the neighborhood looking for trouble when I heard the commotion here and came over to lend a hand," said Naruto with a shrug of the shoulders.
"Did it have to include sending a car out of control with me on it?"
"I know you've handled worse than this, so it's pretty much a cakewalk for you,"
"Touché," they heard groaning and turned to see the thugs climb out of the wreckage and try to make a run, the heroes looked at each other and nodded in a silent agreement then Robin took out a pair of bolos from his belt and threw it at two of the thugs to entangle their legs and trip them up. Naruto thrust both arms out to launch two chakra chains to wrap around two of the thugs' necks then pulled them towards him with a powerful jerk before performing a double lariat for the knockout, Robin struck the back of the thugs' necks to do the same. The two heroes used ninja wire and handcuffs to restrain them as them police walked up to them.
"Thanks for the help you two, we truly appreciate it," said the policeman gratefully.
"It's no biggie," said Robin.
"We're glad to help out," Naruto added in. it took a while before the police van arrived and the thugs were shoved inside to be sent to the police station, the officers saluted them before driving away.
"So what are you going to do now?" asked Robin, he had ran into the hero before and found him to be rather amicable to be around at times unlike the always serious Batman. He sparred with the ninja many times but has yet to win a match against him.
"Pretty much what you're also going to do, keep an eye out for more crimes before turning in for the night," said Naruto.
"Okay, guess I'll see ya around then," Robin took out a grapple hook and fired it to swing away to who knows where.
Naruto smiled as he watched the young hero leave "Kid's pretty good, would make a good Genin back home,"
"Apparently so, but let's get back to business shall we?" Kurama spoke up.
"Roger that," Naruto threw a Hirashin kunai to a nearby rooftop and flashed over to it before leaping away in search of crimes to impede. After an hour of roof leaping, Naruto is currently meditating atop a gargoyle statue of a tall tower. He was gathering nature chakra which is rather taking him a while to do so due to the severe lack of nature around, him being a sage as well as a ninja whose village lies deep in a forest has him feeling very uncomfortable and slightly nauseous.
Soon enough, he attained sage mode and began to search for anything unusual which he did…and it was very odd by this world's standards anyways. He was sensing strange activities from the vegetation several miles away from his position, almost at the outskirts of the city. Not only that, he was also sensing someone who seems to also be highly attuned to nature like him.
"Hmmm, I wonder who it is that can commune with nature like this? I can only think of one person most likely," Naruto then spoke up "Sigmis, I need a ride to somewhere," the young phoenix chirped in affirmation before hopping out of his hood and transforming into its true form as Naruto jumped onto its back then took off in the direction which Naruto told it to go. It didn't take them too long till they were flying above what looks to be an abandoned botanical garden…though not exactly abandoned given that he senses the plants be far more healthy than any plant growing by itself.
"If it is who I think it is, better watch yourself," said Kurama.
"I know Kurama, though personally I've been wanting to meet her for a while now. Hearsays can't inform one so much as from the horse's own mouth as they say," said Naruto.
He had Sigmis land on the rooftop before cautiously gaining entrance through a skylight and silently descending to the ground with a chakra chain. With his sage mode still active, Naruto walked through the pathways with vegetation around him at every corner whilst taking note that the amount of nature energy here is quite a lot than in the city and the deeper he went, the more the plants and trees appeared larger. He arrived at what appears to be the center of the area and there he saw the source of the strange source of nature energy kneeling before a small patch full of beautiful flowers.
She is a woman with long wavy red hair and light green skin wearing a one-piece green outfit adorned with leaves and green vines extending over her limbs. Needless to say that Naruto found her to be very beautiful with her hair reminding him of his mother. The blonde ninja knew who this is, she is known to be Poison Ivy, an eco-terrorist with the ability to control plants and an expert on anything relating to them. The redhead suddenly stood up and looked directly at where Naruto was hiding much to his surprise for he was sure that he had hidden himself that not even Batman would be able to locate him for a while and sage mode should have masked his presence.
"There's no point in hiding anymore, my children had long since told me of your presence," said Poison Ivy, she watched as Naruto jumped from the tree and landed on the clearing before "I know about you, you're the new hero who goes by the name Zenko and is one of the heroes who defeated the aliens during the invasion,"
"Guess my reputation presides me now," said Naruto with a shrug.
"Indeed, though it's unfortunate that your hero career ends here!" she thrusts her hand out as she commanded the vines and roots to attack the ninja, the plants were just a few meters away from him when they suddenly stopped for a moment before withdrawing themselves much to her shock or disbelief…or maybe both "What?! Why are you not attacking him?!" she listened to the 'voices' of the plants and was stunned at their response.
"Cannot harm…warm aura…one with nature…sage…protector…,"
She couldn't believe what they were telling her and turned to glare at the source of this strange development "What did you do to my babies for them to not attack you?!"
Naruto crossed his arms while tilting his head slightly to the side "I did nothing, I'm simply in a special state which I was trained in to become one with nature around me,"
"That's impossible, only I am capable of communing with them and no one else!"
"Actually there's one person in my village who was able to create and manipulate plantlife. He even created a special place called the forest of death which no one would dare enter at the cost of their life. The villagers would have mistaken you for your abilities if you were there," said Naruto, referring to the first Hokage with his wood release, not to forget Yamato as well "As for me, I possess a unique energy that has a positive effect on nature,"
Poison Ivy continued to glare "I refuse to believe unless you prove it,"
Naruto looked around for a few moments before his eyes set upon a potted plant and by the looks of it is yellow and wilting, signs of a disease called bacterial wilt from what he could remember from Ino teaching him about plants for his mini garden. Naruto approached the plant and placed a palm on it with Kurama channeling chakra through him, Ivy watched in fascination as a yellow aura emitted from the ninja's hand and flowed into the plant and was shocked to see it growing quickly and appearing more healthy than last seen, she even heard the rejuvenated plant whisper a 'Thank you' to him
"Is that proof enough for you?" asked Naruto.
"This man…he could prove himself useful against those people harming the plants, perhaps I could sway him to my side," thought Poison Ivy, she saucily approached the ninja whilst releasing pheromones from her body into the air around "Indeed it is, perhaps we could come to an agreement,"
Naruto frowned behind his mask and he noticed than the atmosphere is thick with a foreign scent which he was sure wasn't there before and it seems to be originating from Poison Ivy herself. He felt his senses dulling for a few moments but an automatic quick burst of his chakra restored them to normal.
"Trying to control me eh? Well I'll just have to disappoint her," thought Naruto, he saw her reaching out for his mask and allowed her to remove it, but when she reached for the facemask he poked her forehead with a finger "I believe that's enough for a freebie, and by the way I'm immune to any kind of poison or pheromones which you would try to use on me," he wasn't wrong, at first Kurama and his Uzumaki genes granted him a strong healing factor, later on the sage training, true bonding with Kurama and bearing the yang seal made him immune to poisons such that his cells would break them down and create an immunity to them.
Poison Ivy was in shock at the revelation and became angered as the ninja's blue eyes twinkled with mischief and proceeded to attack him with punches and kicks. Naruto was rather impressed with her skills in close combat as he blocked and evaded her attacks. About over ten minutes, Naruto jumped away from a visibly exhausted Poison Ivy who was still glaring at him.
"How dare you make a fool out of me?!" she yelled at him.
"I did little of the sort, on the other hand you tried to control me which I couldn't agree with," Naruto lean back against a tree with several flowers around him growing from the influence of his chakra.
"With your power I would be able to punish those people for destroying nature!"
"Punishing sure, but not to the point of killing. I understand your love of nature since my village is literally entitled Konohagakure which means the Village hidden in the leaves. I can't help but disagree with your methods because you would have so much more to lose," said Naruto.
"What are you talking about?" Poison Ivy demanded, as far as she's concerned she is getting rid of the ones responsible for nature's destruction.
"You may have killed those harming nature, but what about those who worked under them to earn money to cater for their families? Mothers and children waiting for their husbands/fathers to return safely to them. Elderly parents awaiting the visitation of their children and grandchildren, but your actions would have the unfortunate side effect of preventing that from ever happening. Unlike villains like the Joker among others, your reasons are far nobler than theirs," said Naruto.
Poison Ivy opened her mouth to retort but stopped in her thoughts, all she wanted was to stop the instigators of destroying plant life and that was it, she never did give much thought about the aftereffects and would shrug it off. But now the thought of her breaking up happy families made her feel no different from her sworn enemies, perhaps it was why Batman and his partners do everything to stop her, recalling his anger when he saw the people she had turned into bark and suspected he personally knew one of them well.
"…so what would you have me do then, let them continue to harm nature?" she asked quietly.
"I'm not telling you to leave them be but rather search for a more peaceful route in your mission, surely you're aware of many others that care for nature as well. If you turned to them, I'm sure without a doubt that they would assist in protecting the plant life especially with them able to appeal to the public to help. I can even help you as well along with finding any hidden agendas within the opposition. This way lives won't ever be lost and certain individuals will be rightfully judged, whether plant or human all life is precious,"
"This is a lot to take…but with what I've done in the past, I doubt they would listen," the eco-terrorist looked unsure of herself.
"I understand, but I hope you can give it a try. You're one of the few whom I felt didn't need to be labelled a villain, you just needed to follow the right path. If you do so then you would always have my support,"
"And what makes you think that I wouldn't follow your advice?" asked Poison Ivy.
"I can tell you're a good person, you just didn't have a good start like me but there's still the chance of living better than before," said Naruto, confusing her of what he meant by him having a rough life like hers. She saw him reach into his overcoat and take out a tri-pronged kunai with strange inscriptions on the handle as he approached, causing her to tense but then he held it out to her.
"What is it?" she asked cautiously.
"This a Hirashin kunai created by my dad which enables him to teleport to it no matter the distance which I can also do. Simply throw it when you need me and I'll appear," Naruto walked away before looking back with an eyesmile "I hope to see you again sometime, and please think about what I said. A beautiful woman like you doesn't deserve to be incriminated but rather supported," then he left and Ivy heard the plants 'whisper' for him not to leave.
"He's an odd hero, any other hero would have tried to detain me but he let me go with an advice and potential support," she looked at the healthy potted plant with a warm smile "He really is an odd one,"
Meanwhile, Naruto had long since left the abandoned botanical garden and rode on Sigmis' back to return to the city. He stopped a few more crime activities before turning in for the rest of the night or to be more exact morning, Naruto woke up a couple hours later and got himself dressed before leaving the apartment to hail down a cab to transport him to the Gotham airport for a booked flight to his destination. He had Sigmis fly above the building while he went through the basic procedures before stealthily tucking into the jacket when boarding the plane.
It was a long and uneventful flight with Naruto whiling away the time by reading through a couple of brochures available to him until the pilot made an announcement for preparation for their forthcoming landing, eventually they arrived at the airport and Naruto was soon standing at the entrance with a look of relief.
"Here we are guys, our new home…San Francisco!" said Naruto gleefully as he marveled the places around him, then he reached into the pocket of his jacket to scroll through the info he had saved yesterday "And now for us to get a place to crash,"
"I rather prefer that we get a house of our own," said Kurama.
"I'm planning for that too, just need to line up our pockets with cash. I might need to find another job aside from republishing Pervy Sage's books and writing some stories of my own. Once having enough money, that's when I can buy a house so in the meantime we'll make do with an apartment," thought Naruto, getting a grunt of affirmation from the vulpine bijuu.
Naruto called for a cab to take him to 800 Indiana St San Francisco, there he met up with the landlord and came into terms with the landlord to getting a unit comprising of three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms at the cost of $7,760 with him being allowed to bring in pets for an additional payment. Naruto deposited a $1,000 for an installment and received a key to the room before going to it, he let Kurama out of the seal with Sigmis' curiosity having him explore their new home. Naruto was rather impressed with the room, since he saw the pictures on the brochure as it has the basic along with a patio.
Naruto took to unsealing his clothes and other stuff from his scrolls and placing them at suitable places like his clothes in the closet and the books at the bookshelves, he sat on the couch and was about to turn on the TV to catch anything interesting on. Suddenly he heard beeping coming from the pocket of his jacket and reached in to take what appears to be an earpiece which he put in his ear and pressed a button to open a channel.
"This Zenko here," said Naruto, Kurama who had been sitting next to him quirked an eyebrow in interest.
[Zenko this is Hawkgirl, we just picked up three alien signatures entering the atmosphere and towards a populated city. We may not know their purpose here but we're going to find out their reason] said Hawkgirl.
"I'll suit up and wait for your arrival over there with the Hirashin kunai in hand for me to warp to,"
[Roger, Hawkgirl out]
Naruto ended the connection and quickly rushed to his bedroom to change into his hero gear, afterwards he was back in the main room and heading for the patio, Kurama and Sigmis getting to his shoulders with the latter smirking.
"Looks like something exciting is about to happen eh?" asked Kurama.
"Pretty much yeah, hoping for a fight?" asked Naruto despite knowing the answer already.
"Like you need to even ask?"
Naruto felt the pulse from the Hirashin kunai given to the league before warping towards their location and find out more about these strangers and their reason for visiting the planet.
This is Hussbek online with the latest chapter, things have pretty much cooled down after the alien invasion and gone back to normal aside from the formation of the Justice League. Naruto decided to move away from Gotham city, given that it already has protectors and wants to have a turf of his own in a way. After helping out Robin, he runs into a well-known villainess Poison Ivy who was rather taken aback by his ability to connect with nature as well as wanting help correct her life ambition in the path. Afterwards Naruto moved to San Francisco and was about to relax when he got a call from Hawkgirl about a group of aliens arriving in the planet unannounced and so is making his way over to learn of their reasons for being here. Stay tuned to find out.
This is Hussbek from Ghana.
Signing out.
