Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Young Justice.

A/N Maelstrom Hunter will be up soon, it's being beta'd at the moment.

Beta: Chaos-PSD.

Chapter XLIX: Odnu!

Last Time.

"But Papa Willie… He died a few years later. I left a man who loved me. He loved me, and I never saw him again…"

"I'm glad you finally understand. The shadows made you into a weapon. I believe I can help you now, but only if you approach your rehabilitation fully."

"I wanna stay."

Naruto nodded at that. "OK."

They went to walk inside before she spoke up. "They never said you trained guards."

Naruto snorted at that. "Probably embarrassed by how good I was compared to them."

"No, they said something about a harem."

Naruto groaned at that before closing the door behind them.

Now.

The universe. This universe is billions of years old. In those early days, the conflict between stability and change, between stagnation and anarchy, sparked beings of pure energy. Great Lords of Order and puissant Lords of Chaos. Entrusted to maintain the sacred balance between opposing forces. As the loss of said balance once heralded the destruction of the old universe. There is no moral judgment here. No conflict between good and evil.

Unless good is the balance itself and evil is that balance's undoing. Over millennia ago, Vandar Adg established a village for his spawn… Beings that today would be called… Meta-humans. This was to be Vandar's utopia, a place where all his children, those that descended from him and those he had taken under his wing, could live in peace and harmony under his rule.

In time, Vandar left to conquer more lands. Returning to his village in triumph, he discovered his utopia had been undone… By a being called… Klarion. Vandar attacked this new foe. But with a snap of his fingers… Klarion the Witch Boy killed him… Only to see Vandar rise again. Vandar soon realized he wasn't facing a mortal, not even a meta-human mortal. This Klarion was something new.

Or despite appearances, something incredibly old. Something elemental, fundamental… To the universe. For 300 days and 300 nights, Klarion killed Vandar in different ways. And every time, Vandar rose again. Until, finally, the Witch Boy grew intrigued enough to stop. Each was a revelation to the other. Klarion learned that mortals had the potential to interest and engage him.

And Vandar learned of the Lords of Chaos and Order that helped govern the cosmos. Vandar did not yet know what use he could make of this entity. But seeing a valuable potential asset and not being one to let an opportunity slip away, Vandar was certain he would think of something. Still, the priority was to stop Klarion from murdering his people.

Unfortunately, the Witch Boy balked at any restriction, asking, "Why would I listen to you?"

"Give me years, and I'll show you why. Meet me right back here in this village called Atlantis."

"All right. I'll play, for now." Klarion smiled as he pets his cat before disappearing via a portal.

Hollywood May 02, 14:00 PDT.

"Look Gar, from what the others and Inferno has told me, you've been doing nothing but sleeping."

Naruto in a black sleeveless shirt and jeans said to Garfield who had bags under his eyes. "I've been tired."

"As well as neglecting the chores and your team? Plus you missed your meeting with Dinah. Black Lightning made annual mental health checks mandatory. Yours is past due. So unless you're prepared to permanently leave the Team, the Justice League, and the Outsiders, you have to attend one therapy session with her." Garfield stared at him for a moment before sighing and turned to the zeta tunnel. Clean up first."

Naruto sighed as he pointed to the locker room. "Is he going to be OK?"

Naruto turned to see Cassie walking up to him. "Yeah, from what you all told me, He's possibly depressed. Luckily we caught it soon before anything serious happened." He explained looking back at Garfield.

Manhattan May 13, 20:20 EDT.

"Sgowogort egreme rednu a Ruomalg! (Trogowogs emerge under a Glamour!)"

Small creatures ran out of a manhole and around a block laughing. They're also heavyset with bright yellow skin, save for their pale yellow bellies. They have long, lobeless, pointed ears with orange undersides. Their eyes are round, red and pupiless, set low above a wide mouth housing a wide, pink tongue, and a large round chin.

They have two skinny arms with spikes on their elbows, and hands each with three fingers and an opposable thumb. Their two skinny legs end with small, three-toed feet. They have two spikes on their backs and a short tail.

Traci dropped down with a small lizard on her shoulder and shot purple magic at a hydrant hitting one Trogowog into a metal box that appeared. "Got one!" She turned to see another run past her. "Khalid!"

Khalid is a young Egyptian-American man with black hair and brown eyes. He's wearing a blue hoodie over a black shirt and jeans.

He spoke a spell that had a tree glow green and used its branch to hit the creature into another box. "Ha! Two points." He said before another ran past. "Jess!" He yelled as a woman dropped into a crouch

Jessica is a young Caucasian woman with long black hair, and blue eyes wearing a yellow T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt with jeans and black boots. (1.)

"No worries. Speed of Mercury!" Her hand on the street glowed yellow as a line formed on the street before pulling her hand up and shooting a bolt at the creature and having him speed up into another box. "Ha!"

Over with Thirteen, she was hit by her lizard's tail. "Ow! Quit it." She scolded before seeing the lizard saw more creatures "Oh. Thanks, Leroy. Three more incoming." She yelled, chanting a spell, and had the street lines pop up to throw one in a box.

Khalid followed and had one bloat up and float to another box. And Jess went to a post where the third climbed up and bent it. "Strength of Hercules!"

She then grabbed the creature and fixed the pole back in place before dropping the creature in a box. "Jessica, you crushed that magic." Thirteen said as Jess walked over with the box before Thirteen looked at Khalid. "You too, Khaleed."

"Um, actually, I prefer 'Khalid.' Like in the back of the throat." He replied pointing at his throat.

"Khalid?/Khalid?"

"Mmm, pretty close."

"Speaking of pretty close."

They looked to see Zatanna and Kage walking up to them. "Catching six Trogowogs isn't bad, but… Etativel! (Levitate!)"

Three of them floated over at her spell. "You're all becoming great sentinels of magic, but you need to maintain a better awareness of your surroundings."

"Aw, man, we flunked." Thirteen looked down at that.

"No, no, more like a... a B-minus."

"A-minus," Naruto said behind his wife. "She's too hard on you all. That's why she doesn't have a lot of stu-!"

"Evomer sih htuom! (Remove his mouth!)"

He stopped as his mouth vanished before glaring at the magician before she undid the spell then looked at the boxes to speak another. "Sexob enibmoc. (Boxes combine.)" All the boxes turned into one large one. "Sgowogort, nruter ot eht Htrae! (Trogowogs, return to the Earth!)" Then they disappeared as Zatanna smiled. "There. The Trogs are home. Now for the glamor spell that's been hiding us all. Ruomalg hsinav! (Glamour vanish!)"

They glowed before a young man bumped into them as he was looking at his phone. "Oh. Sorry. Didn't see you there."

"No harm done," Zatanna said before looking at Thirteen. "Traci, you're still relying too much on your bad-luck powers. I want you to focus more on your urban magic until it comes to you as easily. Khalid, fix what you bend or break." She lectured before looking at the tree and spoke a spell that fixed it. "Erotser erutan! (Restore nature!) It's important to balance the natural and magical worlds. Plus, the tree will thank you."

"So would that swollen Trogowog," Jess smirked at Khalid who facepalmed

"Ugh. I totally forgot to fix him." He groaned as Naruto smiled

"Trogs are pretty elastic. He'll belch it out soon enough."

"Huh, that I'd like to see," Jess said before Zatanna turned to her.

"And Jess, you're still thinking too much like a superhero, which is understandable given your history. But magic isn't just about giving or getting meta abilities. Use your imagination when you tap into the Earth's ley lines or other sources of mystic power. Spread your wings."

The three looked down at that. "Oh, come on now, don't let a little constructive criticism get you down," Naruto spoke as he walked forward. "You learn more from your mistakes… It took me three tries to graduate in my home world."

"You're all doing great. In fact…" Zatanna trailed off looking up for a moment as her eyes widened then smiled. "In fact, you are my best students."

Naruto felt a chill go up his spine before Thirteen scoffed. "We're your only students."

"And still the best."

In the heavens in the Libra constellation, a Lord of Chaos floats down to Earth via red fiery crystal. It stops atop a Manhattan skyscraper and emits a red wave of energy, causing a temporary power cut in the area. Naruto, Zatanna, and her students sense the wave but have no idea what it is.

"What was that?" Khalid asked looking up

"I don't know."

Salem May 13, 20:28 EDT.

The wave passes through the Tower of Fate, attracting the attention of Doctor Fate.

Hollywood May 13, 17:31 PDT.

The wave passes through the Premier Building, momentarily disorientating a man.

He is a muscular male with light blue skin. He has white sideburns and dark rings around his yellow eyes, and his forehead is adorned with two dark yellow horns. He also has fangs. He's wearing a dark blue T-shirt underneath, and dark gray cargo pants. He also has a utility belt and wears boots and knee pads.

Khüiten Peak May 14, 07:32 ICT.

From his headquarters, Vandal Savage chairs a video conference of the Light before Zviad speaks. "The situation in Markovia couldn't be better. Another clutch of meta-humans arrives each day. In addition, Ultra-Humanite and Dr. Jace are doing fine work, using Tar to activate still more. Best of all, they're volunteers. There's no coercion, no trafficking. A little patriotic nudge, passed from myself to King Brion to his people, does the trick quite nicely."

"And Helga has really taken these newly minted metas under her wing. She's like a mother to them all. Oh, it's very sweet." He finished as the energy passed through having Klarion gasp and grab his head from his screen.

"And what of the push from Secretary General Fury to send UN inspectors to Markovia?" Vandal asked, hands behind his back.

"A minor concern, but-" Zviad stopped as Klarion spoke looking around.

"This is bad. Not good. I have to go."

"Klarion?" Vandal turned to the witch boy who looked at him.

"No time to explain. Teekl, you tell them."

"(Meow)" Teekl meowed before they disappeared.

"Our excitable friend seems to be having a moment." Zviad chuckled at that as Vandal narrowed his eyes.

Hollywood May 13, 17:42 PDT

"Ugh!"

Andie, wearing a black shirt and gray jeans groaned as she opened the fridge to see the spoiled food and milk inside.

She then grabbed a carton before going to the sink to pour out the spoiled drink.

"Andie, isn't it Gar's turn to clean out the fridge?"

She looked up to see Blue Devil walking in

"Naruto took him off the team to heal. Gar didn't want that so Naruto told him to either get help and take a break or quit the Outsiders."

Harlem May 13, 20:42 EDT

"All right, climb aboard."

Zatanna told her team as they got to a carousel.

"Ow! OK, okay. The dragon it is." Thirteen said after Leroy smacked her cheek

"I thought we were gonna figure out what that weird energy wave was?" Jess asked as the others got on a lion, a dragon, and for Naruto a panther.

"Isn't that what we're doing?" Zatanna asked as she got on a unicorn having her student sigh and got to a tiger. "Fine. Mr. Tawny, I choose you."

"Ylf, ym seitterp! (Fly, my pretties!)"

The ones they sat on came off and floated in the air and flew above the street. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"So crash!"

"Class, here's your next test." Zatanna looked back at them before flying faster. "Try to keep up."

They flew for several minutes before Jess came up beside her. "You didn't have to go to all 'Mary Poppins'. You know, we could've taken the subway."

"Where's the fun in that?" Naruto asked as he flew above Zatanna, and turned to kiss her upside down.

"Oh, I saw that in a movie!" Thirteen spoke pointing at them.

"Hey, Jess, I know I'm the new guy here, but what did Zatanna mean when she said that you're still thinking too much like a superhero?" Khalid asked Jessica who glanced over.

"Oh, that. See, I used to be a superhero, called… Mmm, never mind. I was on the covert team, so you wouldn't have heard of me. But I had the power, or a part of the power, any way of… (Sigh) Well… I can't actually say it myself."

Thirteen then came up to whisper. "Shazam!"

"Um, so, what happened?"

"I was just a kid. I wasn't ready for power back then. I had to give it up…" Jess sighed as she looked down to mutter. "I had to."

They then went to the street to fly just above it. And into a school bus having everyone screen before dodging the bus. They then landed by a building and got off as Thirteen walked up to her teacher. "That was amazing! You know, except for the part where we nearly hit a bus."

"Why's a school bus out at this time of night, anyway?" Khalid asked as Naruto walked up.

"Probably a football game."

"Nruter! (Return!)" Zatanna spoke, having the rides fly back to the carousel before going to the building.

"What are we doing here?" Jess asked as Zatanna grabbed the door.

"Meeting an old friend. Someone you all should know."

She opened it and walked in as it lit up. The others followed suit.

New Orleans May 13, 22:43 CDT.

They walked inside what looked like a fortune teller's room. Naruto looked to see a beaded doorway and saw a woman walk out. She has long black hair pulled in a ponytail, green eyes, and tanned skin. She has eye shadow on with a beauty mark under her left eye and wearing a black choker with a black and red shirt that has a white collar with a red see-through shirt over it, a long blue skirt, black high-heeled boots and she has gold hoop earrings, bracelets, and rings.

"Nimue Inwudu, also known as Madame Xanadu, allow me to introduce-"

"Your students." Xanadu interrupted with a creole accent. "Traci Thurston, Jesse Armstrong, and Khalid Nassour. Bonjour, mes amis. (Hello my friends.)" She greeted, as she walked up. "And a special welcome to you Naruto. Madame Xanadu offers you welcome."

Naruto smiled at her before Thirteen spoke. "She is part of your… Group too?"

"Nah, she wishes though," Naruto replied as Xanadu smiled. "She was a spy for me ten years ago."

Manhattan May 13, 21:48 EDT.

The red crystal floated into a jewelry store and stopped on a large flawed diamond.

THE STAR OF ATLANTIS

It shot a red beam at it, having it expand until it broke from its case into several pieces of various sizes. It then formed into a large humanoid creature with a flaw on its right chest.

The Lord of Chaos touched the flaw before glowing and taking the form of a nine-year-old. She's a Caucasian girl with red eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair adorned in a black headband. She's wearing clothing similar to that of a girl's school uniform, consisting of a black blazer with a gold emblem over a white collar shirt, a purple tie, a purple skirt, knee-length white socks, and black Mary Jane shoes.

"Hello. I wish to express my appreciation. Thank you for being my anchor on the mortal plane. In return, I will provide you with an appropriate name." She reached for the flaw and rubbed it. "Let's call you Flaw, shall we? Now, Flaw, if you would kneel."

Flaw followed as she drew two dots and a line for eyes and a smiling mouth on his face "There. You look absolutely darling."

"Child, what are you doing in here?"

They turned to see a security guard walking in holding a flashlight. "And what is that?" He asked, pointing at Flaw before pulling out his gun as she smiled and looked at a mirror on the wall behind her.

"'Child'? Hmm. I like it. Thank you, sir. You have served a valuable purpose. Flaw, please reward this mortal accordingly."

Flaw got up and walked to the guard who backed up. "Hey! Hey! Stop there. Stop right there. Don't make me shoot!

The newly named Child walked to the mirror as she heard shooting before blood covered the wall by the mirror. "This new form looks adorable. Still, I wonder what these things look like on the inside.

New Orleans May 13, 22:55 CDT.

"Hey, where's that music coming from?" Khalid asked Xanadu who turned to sit at a circular table.

"Hmm? Oh. From Preservation Hall, across the street.

"But, Preservation Hall, isn't that in New Orleans?"

"Of course." Xanadu pointed to her window where the three waled to see they were in New Orleans

"Whoa."

"We entered through the Harlem door," Zatanna explained before continuing. "Madame Xanadu's parlor is actually in New Orleans, but it has doors the world over, all leading here.

"This 'parlor' looks more like a tourist trap," Jess commented looking around.

"It was, once," Xanadu explained, lighting a candle. "Naruto came to me with an offer to be his spy, the pay was good-"

"And she got to see my handsome face regularly." Naruto quipped as Xanadu sighed

"But now…" Xanadu pulled the smoke from the candle and blew it at Jesse's face, having it go up her nose and had her eyes widened before she started to speak.

"Madame Xanadu is a seeker of secrets and a keeper of knowledge. For years, her natural gifts lay dormant and forgotten. She was a charlatan, a poser until an encounter with Naruto Uzumaki and Kent Nelson inspired her to become what she had long claimed to be. The greatest seer and medium on Earth."

"Whoa."

"Kent Nelson?"

"I assume you know why we're here," Naruto spoke as Xanadu looked up.

"Powerful mystic pulse felt all around the world, yes? I've lost track of it, but I can send you to the last known location of its locus.

"Perfect."

"Hmm." Xanadu's eyes glowed white as her hair floated up and chanted a spell before her front doors glowed gold. "That should get you there."

They turned to leave before Xanadu cleared her throat. "Whoops. Sorry." Zatanna said before holding her hand out. "Yenom no eht elbat. (Money on the table.)"

A roll of money dropped down, having Xanadu pick it up and place it in her cleavage. "Really?"

"Favors don't keep the lights on."

"Thank you, Nimue," Zatanna spoke as Khalid opened the doors to the gold portal.

"Of course. Now, please, be careful, Z. I haven't felt a chaotic energy like that in this lifetime." Xanadu replied to the magician.

"Nothing for me?" Naruto asked, handing over his heart. "All I do is give you my love and respect… And money and I get nothing?"

"I doubt anything would happen to you, Naruto." She deadpanned at him before he walked up and through the portal.

"Holy moly!"

Manhattan May 13 21:56 EDT.

The group walked into the store to see a grotesque display of the dissected corpse of the security guard. "Who would do this? And why?" Thirteen asked as Leroy hid behind her neck.

"Some kind of ritual kill?"

"I don't think so," Naruto said looking at the remains. "The body would be gone… I've seen it before. Plus if what they were trying to call came here there would be destruction here."

"It reminds me of first-year medical school. An anatomy lesson." Khalid explained before Zatanna walked up.

"I think you're right, Khalid. Something inhuman did this. Something that wanted to know how we tick."

Suddenly, Klarion appeared on the steps having her turn to him. "What did you do?/What did you do?"

"(Meow)"

"Yes, I know we shouldn't have stopped to torture those hummingbirds, but it seemed like a fun idea at the time.

"Rehtaf, ediug ym yenruoj hguorht S'etaf Yloh Hkna! (Father, guide my journey through Fate's Holy Ankh!)" Zatanna brought the Ankh portal up before Klarion dispersed it.

"Oh, no. I'm not falling for that again. Took me 16 days to get out of that tower last time. I won't get stuck, and I won't stand still for what you have planned." He said before casting a spell of his own to shoot a beam at her.

"Dleihs! (Shield!)" Zatanna created a portal before Naruto jumped over to fire an arrow that exploded in light.

He then appeared beside Klarion to hit him with a Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere), having him hit the wall like mud.

"You would strike a little boy?" Klarion asked as he reformed.

"Who's probably thousands of years old? Damn straight."

"Khalid, the cat is his anchor!" Zatanna spoke about having Khalid attack Teekl and having Klarion flicker.

"Your type always goes for the cat!"

Roanoke Island May 13, 23:49 EDT.

Child and Flaw appeared in the woods before she smiled. "This will do. I can taste him here. Tastes like... Disappointment." She said after smacking her lips.

She then created a sigil on the ground and turned to Flaw. "If you would oblige me, please."

He leaned down and had her flick his face to have a sound wave come off. Suddenly, Klarion appeared in front of Child as she smiled.

Khüiten Peak May 14, 09:01 ICT.

"Thus, the threat of the Chaos Lord was delayed. But not dismissed. Yet, in that moment, a bond was forged between an immortal mortal and one of the cosmos' elemental entities."

Vandal stood on the peak as he heard a man telling him the story of how he met Klarion before turning to see a man with dark skin and white hair and eyes. He's wearing a blue fedora, and a white dress shirt under a blue vest and coat He also has what looked like silver coins as a necklace

"Come now, Stranger, why do you tell me what I already know?"

"To remind you of what must not be forgotten."

"Damn you and your enigmatic musings." Vandal turned away at that. "For once, say what you came here to…" He tailed off as he turned back to see no one was there. "… Say."

To Be Continued.

A/N: Thanks for reading and let me know of any mistakes.

Beta: Chaos-PSD.

1. OC to take Mary's place since we introduced her in s1 of the original story.

OK, next to be updated will be Malestrom Huntsman later today hopefully, then Naruto on Board with Shinobi after as there may not be any update from me next week as I'll be writing a Ch for each story (Maybe two) in case I get a lot of visitors for Christmas.

Nothing else to say.

Talk To You Later,

Lone Wolf Out.🐺