Diana Prince sat on a bed, her left shoulder purple and twisted away.

For a prisoner, she sure as hell wasn't treated like one. Glancing through the window, she saw a velvet sky dyed pomegranate pink, vast primrose sand and buoyant waves that crashed on ragged rocks. The colour palette of the bedroom brought her a sense of homeliness, like she had been living there for her entire life. Truly a perfect summer getaway. Now, the resort housed a threat who could destroy the world on a whim.

Perhaps this was some elaborate scheme. Show her a semblance of peace and snatch it all away with cruel efficiency – psychological torture 101. By the Gods, she was supposed to be the Amazon's Champion. Never retreat, never surrender. A worthy death in a battlefield is the greatest glory an Amazon could dream in her life.

So why was her hand shaking?

A hurricane of suicidal thoughts flooded her and an atavistic spark of fear festered in her stomach. What a man could do to another man made her wonder if the Gods had abandoned them. Hell, she had fought in a few campaigns too in the early 1900s and she had seen the horrors war had conceived. It would be better to take her own life than to betray humanity and succumb to the devil's mercy.

Speaking of the devil, Naruto had strolled into her room with a bottle of Yamazaki 18 in his hand. "Morning, sunshine! Hungry? I bought some pizza from Brooklyn. Heard it was the bomb. Not gonna lie. I'll kill for them. Want some? It's in the kitchen."

Diana stared incredulously at Naruto. How could he be so flippant after he beat the Justice League black and blue on national TV? "Do you even have the faintest idea what you have done? There are consequences for what you did!"

Naruto offered a sturgeon face to the fuming Amazon Princess. "I'm sure there are."

"The Justice League is a symbol of hope to the world. We serve as deterrents for crimes against humanity. The world is safe because of what we do! If the criminals and evildoers realise that the Justice League can be defeated, you cannot possibly fathom the ramification of that thought."

Safe? In this universe? What an incorrigible and ignorant fledgling she was, Naruto thought to himself. "If the only thing stopping a person from committing debauchery and genocide is the fear of absolute punishment than that person is a piece of shit. What's that say about your confidence with your people in general? Hmm?"

For once, Diana's mouth opened, but no words came out.

"Alright, let me take a look at that, sweetheart." It wasn't a question. He took a quick glance at her bruised shoulder, sucked in air, and rolled up his sleeves. "It's going to hurt a lot. Promise me you won't scream."

Diana growled. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? Fixing your shoulder?"

"You know what I mean."

Naruto grabbed her shoulder. "On count of three."

"I don't need your help."

"You could have done it yourself when I left you alone. Now you can either walk around here with a bad arm or I fix it for you."

Diana looked away.

"Thought so. Like I said, don't scream. Now, on a count of three. One."

Naruto snapped it back to place and Diana stifled a grunt. "There, all better now."

Giving her arm a whirl, Diana felt hurt. Not her shoulder – that would heal in a matter of minutes. After all, she had the divine blood of Zeus flowing in her veins. It was her ego that stung and she didn't like it. "So, what now? Throw me into a cell? Lock me up and torture me until I surrender to you? Is that your endgame for me?"

Clapping a hand over his mouth, Naruto gasped dramatically. "Oh my, I didn't know our darling Wonder Woman here is into the kinky stuff!"

"Screw you!"

"Really?" There was a twinkle of mischief in his striking blue eyes and it was irking her to no end. "Like now? Want me to get some handcuffs?"

Diana cocked her fist, an abrasive act that only served to amuse Naruto. "If no one else will defend this world, then I must."

"Oh, I know you would. You're one of the bravest women I have ever met. And I have met plenty. I don't reckon you need anybody to tell you how spectacular you are. Makes me want to know you more." Although Naruto was smiling, his voice made her internal temperature plummet. "However, I also know you're smart too. Smart enough to know that I held back when I spank your friends back to their momma's womb. So, please, don't test me."

"I think it's funny." Diana snarled. "You like to think that you're invincible, but you're not. Nobody is. Even a monster like you has weaknesses."

Naruto quirked a playful grin. "Ah, I have many weaknesses. One of them happens to be a tall, brooding brunette who has a smile that makes you want to spend the rest of your life admiring and eyes that capture the light of fairies."

What in Hades' name was this monster spouting at? Why was her face so hot all of a sudden? And why was her heart thumping so loudly in her chest? Did he bewitch her or something? Diana shook her head, steadied her breath, and furrowed her brows. "Don't think for a second that your coquetry will work on me, monster."

"But is it working though?"

Diana folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alright, fine!" Naruto threw his hands in the air. "I have every intention to help you remove that stick up your perfectly shaped arse, but since you like it that way, who am I to deny you your pleasure. So, let's talk business, shall we?"

"If you're hoping I will be swayed into joining your cause, then I suggest you kill me instead. I will not be swayed."

Naruto beamed brightly, pulled a nearby chair, and sat down, his tone placid. "Ever since you integrated yourself with the Justice League, you have chosen not to kill. To spare the wicked and show mercy to the damned. A noble cause, but foolish nonetheless. Why is that, I wonder? Is it because you have given in to the herd mentality encouraged by your peers?"

The Amazons were dauntless in battle and had no qualms shedding blood, but Diana couldn't do that. Not as Wonder Woman. She was immaculate and above reproach, a warrior that embodied righteousness. Gratuitous killings did not fit her image. That was the weight of her tiara. "I chose a path of restraint because it is the right thing to do."

"I think you have mistaken doing what's right from doing what's necessary." Naruto jerked his chin at her Sword of Athena resting on the table. "No matter how you try to twist the truth to fit the Justice League's narrative, in the end a sword's purpose is to slice and dice. So, in order to forget the spring of zest you felt whenever you slay the wicked, you lie to yourself that showing mercy is the right thing to do. It absolves you from the sin of the sinner."

Diana balled her fists. "What's the point of this discussion?"

For a moment, Naruto said nothing, his lips twitched to a feral grin. "Tell me, Diana. Why do you put on that skimpy outfit you called armour and fight crimes as the champion of the weak and helpless? They said you have been fighting since 1915. Have the wars really changed since then? Tell me what has changed? The travels? The ideology? People remain unchanged, haven't they? Still so petty, vindictive, and selfish."

A bewildered expression of disgust plastered on Diana's beautiful face. "I pity you. You assume the worst for the people around you. That makes you incapable of loving and trusting people."

Pouring himself a glass of whiskey, Naruto downed it in one large gulp, enjoyed the burn from the back of his throat, and let out a sigh. "You know what I see? People nurturing apathy as if it was a virtue. It's easier to cut your wrist than to cope with the trauma of an affliction. It's easier to beat a child than to raise it with care. It's easier to kill and steal what you want than to earn it. Isn't that why humanity has been fighting wars for thousands of years?"

Diana shook her head. "You're wrong. We're talking about criminals here! People who are deranged and need to be reformed!"

"No! No, no! You can't afford to be this naïve!"

"Oh, Hera!" Diana cried. "You should listen to yourself."

"Oh yeah?"

"You said the problem with people is that they don't care. Apathy and what not. That makes no sense to me. I didn't put on this armour and defend the weak just so I can relish as the people's champion. I do it because I too saw an unsettling apathy towards violence, poverty and suffering. And I want to make a difference. From the way I see it, you say all these things, but you don't mean any of it. Deep down, you want to help too. To care. To love!"

Naruto's face became inscrutable, his eyes illuminating a menacing red.

"You want to convince me that your perspective is the only perspective that matters. You want me to agree with you that humanity is beyond saving and we should all give up. But I won't give up. I refuse to do that. Sure, there are rotten apples out there. I have looked evil in the eyes more times than I could count. But I also saw plenty of good people out there too. For that, I am willing to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. That is why I'm Wonder Woman."

Silence followed, and the only thing Diana could hear was her heartbeat. As she gazed deep into the abyss of his eyes, she saw flecks of loneliness and untold sorrows dancing in a swirl of crimson. Was that what he was? A misunderstood monster? Ludicrous, Diana reprimanded herself, for she knew this was a scheme to chip away her armour, make her vulnerable, and steal her heart.

She would not be swayed.

She mustn't.

There was something disconcerting with the way his eyes light up in innocent joy and laugh like nothing else mattered. She had to fight the urge not to reciprocate the gesture. "Care to prove me wrong?"

Diana cocked a brow. "How do you want me to do that?"

Rays of red light seeped out from Naruto's hand. Suddenly, a carousel of sparks erupted – like miniature fireworks in his palm – and a red ring materialised. "Wear this ring for a month. I'll show you the truth that you so desperately crave. Once a month is over, if you still have the aptitude to say what you said to me with a straight face, then I'll let you go. No fuss, no fine print, nothing. We'll go our separate ways. Hell, I'll even leave your planet alone."

"And if I refuse?"

Naruto took her wrist, unfurled her fingers, and dropped the Ring of Rage in her hand. "We like to think we are free to make our own decisions, but we are not. The path is set for you the moment you are born. Every decision you make leads you closer to your destiny. In the end, we are not free to do what we do, because we are not free in what we want. The Justice League's lives now rest solely in your hand. I'll give you time to make a choice."

Scrutinising had always been a second nature to a warrior like Diana. She didn't need the Lasso of Truth to know people. By one's gestures, heartbeat, blood pressure, slight raise of a lip corner – the sum of them and more betrayed what a mind might think. Capturing such details were child's play for her, yet she couldn't comprehend him. Sure, she could read him, but none of his emotions made sense.

One thing she noticed about him was his fondness for smiling. It was hard not to notice, since his smiles were splendid imitations of the real ones. Not once had he smiled a genuine smile yet. Perhaps his smiles were merely an elegant wall that he erected to hide what's inside from everyone. Part of her wanted to peel off that mask and force him to let her in.

"What are you really trying to achieve here?"

"Does it matter?" Naruto replied, still smiling.

Diana glanced down and studied the ring in her grasp. "It does. To me."

His fingers moved to hers and he leaned forward. "Why don't you put on that ring and find out?"

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

The glow of the stars was as gentle on the eye as a vintage photograph. Many things went through Barda's mind as she felt the course sand underneath her bare sole. Taking in the salty breeze of the sea, she felt free, as if the weight of the world were lifted off her shoulders.

Once upon a time, in the abyssal pit of Apokolips, Barda foresaw her life an eternity of torment as a servant of a tyrant, worn down by guilt and destined to die a gruesome death. Never could she imagine herself fancying a red top and short denims over armour. Stretching out her hands, she let a smile of bliss curled at her face.

"I dreamt of paradise once." Naruto relaxed on the beach recliner, a glass of whiskey in his grasp. "A world where we would all be free from our destiny and pain. Such a fool I was."

Barda snapped out of her trance, turned to him, and cocked her head to one side. "Why is that?"

A pang of sorrow flickered across Naruto's eyes for a moment, his voice deep and weary. "Do you know that there are plenty of universes out there? A multi-verse, if you may. In each of that little world lies another Barda who is destined to walk the same path as you did. Everything repeats themselves, until it reaches a certain inflection point. From there onwards, anything could happen. I called that moment of unpredictability… God's fallacy."

Settling down beside her master, Barda's eyes return to the ocean, marvelled by the waves that touched the granite sky.

"I came up with a theory. What if God doesn't have a plan to begin with? Every universe he has ever created, he did it out of his own amusement. He makes sure every piece is in the place that they are supposed to be. And then God slams the chessboard, bringing about madness and chaos. Do you know what that means?" Naruto's eyes hardened. "My world. Your world. Nothing but cancer. And like all cancer, it grew from a source. The origin. God's first world."

The pieces were all falling into place and Barda was starting to understand. "How do you know this is not God's first world?"

Naruto chuckled. "Well, it's simple. I have been to the first world. So, I know this one we're in is also one of many God's fallacies."

"So, you're saying that there are plenty of Barda out there who went through the same horrid things that I did?"

"Pretty much so." The blond shrugged. "This planet has always been God's favourite. Everything will happen as it always has. Krypton must implode and billions must die in order for Superman to be born. Hippolyta and her sisters must be defiled and enslaved by Heracles for Wonder Woman to be born. Thomas and Martha Wayne must be gunned down in cold blood for Batman to be born. It's a never-ending cycle of violence and rebirth. God made that so."

Primal light exploded from Naruto's ring, splaying the night with colourful images of Kyrpton's extinction, the rape of the Amazons, and an elderly couple murdered over and over again. To think that the suffering and death of billions of people were simply a necessity in the grand scheme of things. Truly, all these tragedies were simply a drop. What everybody didn't know was an ocean.

Barda's brows knitted together, unsure what she should make do with this revelation. She stayed quiet for a long time as she considered his words. "So you knew about the Justice League long before you came here."

"I have seen a world where the Justice League didn't exist. I have also seen countless others where they do." A snort escaped him. "However, God was careful. He made it in a way that nobody from one universe has the authority to trespass to another. That was his decree. Inadvertently, someone did. Now the tricky part comes. Everything functions solely on one principle – God is infallible. To prove that notion otherwise will disrupt the balance of the universe."

"So, you're saying that someone has undo God's will?"

Naruto smiled, his eyes gleaming a riot of red, green, and gold. "Exactly. Someone must have tempered with time and undid reality. My guess? That fella must have gone back to the past to change something. Of course, this does beg the question – was this part of God's plan or was this a loophole? You see, it didn't matter. A man does what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills. Every decision made for something was a decision made against something else."

"And you want to beat these… incredible odds?" Barda drawled. "Is that your goal?"

"You mean identifying all the unpredictable fallacies that might happen and do something about them? That will require arduous calculation and immense consumption of my time. Not to mention, incredibly stupid. I'm ambitious, not mentally challenged." Naruto laughed almost childishly. "I have already figured out a way. My goal is to -"

Fierce shaft of red light pierced the black heaven, startling Barda. Naruto, however, felt triumphant. It would seem that Diana had made her choice. As they gazed at the spectacle of power blazing through the atmosphere, Naruto couldn't help but feel excitement burned inside him. "I have rarely seen someone synchronise with the Butcher's rage so flawlessly. Truly, the Goddess of War."

"The Butcher?" Barda was taken aback by the ripples of heat wave radiating from the column of bright crimson. "Is that the Entity of Rage?"

Naruto climbed to his feet, stretched his arms, and grinned. "Time for the main event."

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

When Diana put on the ring, she was awash in a blaze of fire. It was as if a sandstorm had consumed her every being, flames swirling around her and searing her skin. All of the repressed rage and hate that she hid away had burst out, pumping her blood with adrenaline. Smoke was seeping out from the edge of her lips, her eyes alit with red fire.

Letting out a feral growl, Diana took a step forward and her muscles sprung in a sudden explosion of power, propelling her forward like a bullet and decimating her cottage into smithereens. Within a fraction of a second, she stood ten paces before a grinning blond, all traces of humanity was gone from her eyes and her face wreathed by wild, unkempt hair.

Barda gripped her spear tightly, her fight or flight responses kicking in. "Is this a fight? Are we in a fight?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm afraid so. The Butcher will dig out all of her deepest, darkest secrets and mock her with it. Taunting her. Feeding her with twisted truth. The longer she stays in his state, the faster she degenerates. Brace yourself, Barda, and don't drop your guard. Not even for a second. If not, you're gonna find out what a bad day really is."

Flames – red like blood – radiated out from Diana's body, its smothering heat was melting the sand around them into glass. Dropping her jaw, Diana relinquished all of her pent-up rage and gave out a roar so thunderous and demented, it shook the earth and boiled the sea. Suddenly, she went down on all fours, her growls were that of a beast.

Rolling the spear across her fingers, Barda cranked her neck and stared pointedly at Diana. "You want some? Come and get some."

Diana pounced, her fist cocked. Barda crouched down, evaded the punch that was coming her way, and retaliated with a right hook to Diana's face. On any given day, Barda was certain her fist packed enough force to shatter boulders, but it barely scratch Diana. Hell, it only infuriated the unhinged Amazon.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Naruto called out with a cheerful voice. "The angrier she gets, the more powerful she becomes. Try not to piss her off too much, yeah?"

Before Barda could shoot back a vitriol, Diana had seized her arm and slammed her on the ground. Repeatedly. Each time Barda's body collided unforgivingly against the earth, tremors ripped the land apart. The punishment went on for a while before two jagged arcs of green lightning struck Diana square in her chest, disorienting her for a moment.

That was plenty of time for Barda to fight back. She bounced back to her feet, snaked her arm around the Amazon's neck and applied intense pressure. Much to her chagrin, her chokehold was rendered futile when she was abruptly rammed by a massive bull – conjured by the flames of hate – and sent flying skyward.

As swift as it appeared, the fiery bull dissipated into smoke and ember. Diana stood tall, her eyes were glowing with rabid madness and her body enwrapped by flames from perdition. The Sword of Athena flew from the wreckage to her grasp. Even a sword forged from the heart of Olympus could feel the hatred and corruption radiating from its mistress's soul.

"How unfortunate. I expected more from you, Diana." Naruto clicked his tongue, a white sword materialised into his hand. "You let the Butcher take hold of you so easily. You barely put up a fight. But I don't blame you. After all, the Butcher spoke truth to you, didn't it? It showed you what Ares and Hercules did to your mother and your people. Yet, their atrocity was pardoned by Olympus. Do you know why?"

Hot tears flowed from Diana's eyes and she clawed at her temples, her grunts of agony echoed in demonic acoustics.

"Because they can do whatever they want. That is your reality! You have been worshipping those false gods who dismissed the tragedy of your people. Some of them even perpetrated it. Your mother gave up her quest for revenge against those petty gods in exchange of having you. Your sisters fed you lies so that they can bury their terrible past and protect you from the cruelty of the gods. Do you want the truth? You have been deceived your whole life, Diana!"

Diana dashed forward and swung her sword, only to be caught by Barda's spear. "I thought we are trying to subdue her, not empower her!"

Naruto chuckled. "What can I say? I want to see how powerful she becomes."

"You're crazy!"

"Better start paying attention, Barda."

The bloodlust emanated from Diana was so overwhelming Barda swore she saw visions of her own grisly death. Three attacks came at the New God in rapid succession. High. Low. High. Barda parried each one fluidly and went for a thrust with her spear, but Diana skipped backward just in time. "She's getting faster and stronger! At this rate, I might not keep up with her!"

"That should not deter you in any way whatsoever." Naruto folded his arms. "You held the Ring of Will. So long as your will to win is greater than her hate and anger, you will be more powerful than you can ever imagine. Do you still not understand, Barda? Your power grows proportionately to how much willpower you possess. One can say that there is no limit to how powerful you can become. That much can be said to Diana as well."

Barda bulled forward, spear cocked back near her hip, and she attempted a quick jab. The ever so agile and nimble Diana slipped to the left, which was exactly where Barda wanted her to be. Without hesitation, Barda grabbed Diana by her wrist, kneed her in the stomach, and shoved her backward. But Diana was unfazed. What's worse? It was as if she felt no pain.

For the first time in a very long time, Barda faced an enemy that had no limits of endurance, would never negotiate, never surrender, and would fight until the very end. So, this was the strength of a Goddess of War augmented by the Ring of Rage? What a fearsome foe, thought Barda.

Diana slammed her elbow right into Barda's forehead. Her vision went white, then hazy and full of spots. She tried to shake her dizziness off, but her opponent kicked her in the guts and pummelled her to the ground. Hard. To Barda's horror, Diana spew out a tsunami of inferno, razing the beach into a charred battlefield. The flames concentrated into a beam of red that pierced its way from the sea to the sky, splitting heaven and earth in half and leaving devastation at her wake.

Fortunately, Barda had rolled herself out of harm's way and wrestled herself back to her feet, head pounding. "What the fuck was that? You didn't tell me she can do that."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, trust me, she still haven't done half the things she can actually do. Neither did you, by the way."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Heaving out a sigh, the blond shook his head. "Alright, this is dragging too far. I'll take it from here. Come forth, Happy!"

As if on cue, wisp of black smoke rose from Naruto's shadow and took the shape of Darkseid, his glowing red eyes cut through the darkness. Barda had to resist shivering before the sight of the imposing and colossal figure of her former master. Undead or not, he was the reason of her nightmares.

Darkseid sank to one knee, prostrating to his one and only lord. "How can I serve, my master?"

"Knock Diana out immediately. We got things to do."

"Understood."

A volcano of fire and fury opened at Diana's feet, engulfing her in a whirlwind of terrible heat. From afar, her silhouette resembled the devil itself and a maniacal laugh rang from the tongue of the flames, rising and falling in hysterical cycles. In a blink of an eye, Diana became a streak of burning light and bolted towards Darkseid, who stood unflinching at the looming threat.

The moment their fists clashed, the world trembled in terror. They traded blows after blows, neither was willing to yield. Diana sidestepped a punch that came her way and threw a swift uppercut right at Darkseid's jaw, but it barely faze the Dark God. "Is that all you got, Entity of Rage?"

Snarling ferociously like a beast, Diana channelled the power of rage to fuel her with tremendous strength, but then a fist was arcing towards her, and as if of its volition, her sword leapt to meet the opposing force. Diana spat out a low growl and charged once more, meeting Darkseid in a flurry of blows. Blood rising, she flipped her sword in a reverse grip and jammed it straight into Darkseid's sternum.

Darkseid's eyes bulged as Diana twisted her blade, a satisfied grin graced her lips. She ripped her blade out, raised it once more, and drove it down, splitting her adversary's skull in half and lodging the steel in the middle of his collarbone.

At first, Naruto was snickering to himself, then he went into a laughing fit. "My dear, you got it all wrong. You can't kill what's already dead."

Dead flesh started to knit itself together and broken bones mended anew. Diana tried to pull her sword free, but Darkseid had gripped it. Within seconds, the Dark God was restored, save for the Sword of Athena still latched inside his throat.

What happened next sent a shock and terror so great to Diana, it snapped her back to her senses.

Darkseid clenched his fist and shattered the divine blade into pieces.

"It would seem our master overestimated you. Now sleep, child."

Stuck in stupor, Diana didn't see the punch coming her way. The next thing she knew, searing agony erupted from her face and darkness quickly enveloped her.

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

Pit. Plap. Pit.

Deep in the thick and murky darkness, Diana heard water dripping. Ahead of her was a faint glow of red in the distance. As she trudged onward, the shadows seemed to stretch to eternity. Eventually, she came upon a woman, lay splayed across wet stones. A great sorrow rose up in her chest and the taste of bile grew stronger

"Antiope." Her mother's beloved sister and an aunt she never knew laid before her, battered and bruised.

Suddenly, Antiope stood up and Diana finally saw her face. Once, the beautiful Amazonian Queen was a sight to behold, now a chilling nightmare. Her face was cut into ribbons, the skin hanging from her face and exposing blistered flesh. Her eyes naught but empty craters, her dress drenched in blood, and her arm twisted in grotesque angle.

Hot, boiling fire burned inside Diana. "Ares did this to you, didn't he?"

Antiope's silence drew upon a fury unlike anything Diana had ever known.

"Say the word, Antiope, and I'll kill Ares myself!"

The cavern lit up and Diana flinched. When her vision adjusted, to her horror, she found many dead Amazonians surrounding her, each a mangled mess and reeked with rot. Misery loved company, for all of them hungered for something beyond revenge. All they wanted was for the living to join them, to taste the despair that anchored them in purgatory, and spread their suffering like it was a plague.

Like vultures, they pounced, clawing at Diana's face and limbs. Their screams were unceasing, without pause, and a cacophony of agony. Diana felt their pain like it was her own. Suddenly, the encompassing darkness became a quicksand, sucking her down into the abyss. Everything was spinning. She couldn't breathe!

Cold!

Why was she so cold?

No! She had to get away from the anguished wails and the terror it promised!

Someone…

Please!

Then Diana's eyes snapped open and she lurched awake, her lips parted in a soundless scream. Her face was damp with sweat and thirst was gripping at her throat. "I… Did I?"

"Bad dream?"

Diana almost yelped.

"Easy there, it's just me." Naruto smiled. "It can be… daunting at first when you put on that ring. How are you feeling?"

"What do you think?" Diana groaned.

"That bad, huh? Here, this will ease off the migraine."

Naruto passed Diana a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka.

To his surprise, she took a swig without any protest.

"Honestly, I don't know how I feel about you." Naruto smirked. "On one hand, you gave in to your fury so easily. Didn't even fight back. Practically handed your soul to the Butcher on a silver platter. On the other hand, you managed to bend the Butcher to your will so easily as well. That bugger even protected you without your consent. Intriguing, really."

"Do you find it funny?" Diana snarled. "To watch me suffer?"

"Suffering is the keystone to growth. It reminds you that you're alive. That you're working towards a purpose. Without suffering, there is no future. No desire for greatness. Through suffering, we discover ourselves. But that doesn't mean it isn't painful." Naruto took her hand and leisurely examined her ring. "Your pain and suffering defines who you are, but it doesn't have to hold any power over you."

Something piqued Diana's curiosity, so much so that she had stopped downing her alcohol. "Is this the truth that you want me to see?"

Naruto snorted. "Not even close. If I were to show you the whole truth, it might drive you to madness. Let's take it slow."

Drawing circles on her temples, Diana let out a soft groan. "When I was… not in the right mind, I saw things. Terrible things. Are they real?"

Naruto's lips stretched thin. "I'm afraid so. The Butcher never lies. It doesn't need to. The truth cut deeper than lies anyway. What it showed you was the fate of your people. The atrocity of the Gods. The Rape of Themyscria. How the Butcher knew so much, you might wonder. Well, it is the embodiment of rage. It feeds from it. And through rage, it saw the history of Themyscira. It was there when it happened."

Flashes of Antiope's hollow eyes made Diana cringed. "I saw Antiope. And my dead sisters whom I have never met. They wanted me to join them. I felt their pain. Their wounds. Their grief. Their unjust death. I felt all of them. I… want to avenge them."

"Imagine if you can will reality to whatever you want it to be. Now imagine yourself taking this universe we live in and grind it down into powder. Then sieve it good. Sieve it until you can find me one atom of justice. One molecule of evil." Naruto snatched the vodka from Diana and gave it a playful swirl. "In the end, good and evil are merely perspective. The sooner you come to terms with it, the easier it is for you to accept the truth. Anyway, your sword was broken, so I threw it away."

"WHAT?"

Naruto expected violent retaliation, but a shriek would suffice.

"It's broken. And it has lost its blessing. It is but a piece of useless metal."

"U-Useless metal?" Diana was shaking with pure anger. "That was a gift given to me by my mother!"

"Ah, yes. Very touching indeed. I'm sure mommy dearest would give you an earful when you get back to Themyscria. But humour me this, Diana. Do you feel vulnerable and naked without it?"

"What are you talking about?" She growled.

Naruto shook his head, tasted the last drop from his bottle, and was sorely disappointed that he had finished his alcohol too soon. "Your sword is just a tool, Diana. Perhaps it holds some sentimental value, but that's all it is. A piece of metal, blessed by some silly old egomaniac playing god in some faraway pocket dimension. Nothing more. You are still Diana of Themyscira at the end of the day, with or without it."

Gritting her teeth, Diana lashed out. "What would you know? You're a monster in a human skin. I bet nobody has ever given you anything worthy of being valuable! You don't even have any loved ones to understand what it's like!"

If Diana could take back her outburst, she would, because she started to hear whispers.

Submit.

Obedience…

Grovel!

Each whisper was wrapped in another, threaded together in a string of madness, and clung to her. It was then she realised that the Butcher was conveying its fear to her. She glanced up and saw his smile, but she knew she had struck a raw nerve. Most people couldn't stand looking right into Naruto's eyes, for they could feel the weight of his gaze, judging the things they would rather stash away in the dark corner of their mind.

Diana, however, was not most people.

"You're not afraid to speak what's in your mind. I like that. But don't mistake impulsion for honesty." Naruto's grin widened. "I will commend you. First of all, I wouldn't deny the fact that I'm secretly a flying spaghetti monster in disguise. Secondly, I don't recall anybody leaving me anything behind. Kinda sad really, because that brings me to my third point. All of my loved ones are dead! I'm so friggin' old, I can't even remember their faces. So, bingo for you!"

Diana didn't like how she was suddenly the asshole in this argument. She was supposed to be the victim here, not him! He didn't get to spin this around and pin this on her! But… she couldn't expect to tap-dance around a hornet's nest and not expected to be stung. After all, she had seen what this monster could do and if he decided to bring about judgement day, then God helps them all.

"I still won't forgive you for that."

Naruto shrugged. "Can't expect you to do that when I haven't forgiven myself for many things."

Diana's brows furrowed. "How do you know so much about me anyway?"

"Pardon?"

"Don't play coy with me." It was taking every fibre of her being to contain her anger. The ring was really messing with her head. "I remembered what happened. Everything. My fight with Barda. Your… summon. And what you said to me."

"I said many things."

"You know a lot about me. About what happened to my mother. The Gods. My past. What I was. You know things that I don't even know. How is that possible?"

Naruto tapped her nose and winked. "That's for me – the douche waffle – to know and for you – the clueless princess – to figure it out. Anyway, get your shit together. We're going on a road trip."

"Road trip?"

It was then Barda barged into the room, sporting a leather jacket and her spear by her side. "Oh, look. The Princess is awake. Great timing. Time to go yet?"

Naruto bounced to his feet, dusted his hands, and beamed at Diana. "Get ready. We're leaving."

"Where are we going?" The Amazon blinked.

"To slaughter me some Green Lanterns."

Taken aback by the revelation, Diana blanched in disgust; the Green Lantern Corp was defenders of the universe. No way in Hades would she allow him to commit such atrocity. Not on her watch. She hastily flip over her blanket, only to realise she was wearing a skin-tight bodysuit underneath, her breastplate now fashioned the symbol of a maelstrom, and she had glistening spaulder fastened to her shoulders. She climbed out of her bed and gave herself an appraising look. "W-What is this?"

"It seems like your ring has given you your new armour."

"I didn't ask for this."

"You made a choice, Diana. You chose the ring."

"I did it to protect the Justice League."

"When you pray for rain, you have to deal with the mud." Naruto tapped a finger on his ring. "Wake up, V!"

The white ring that was wrapped around his finger hummed to life. "Hi there! I'm Vrill. But you can call me V. I am the ring's innate computer and I'm feeling just great, guys. I know I'm gonna get a bundle of kicks out of what you want me to help you with today."

Naruto shot Barda and Diana a pained look. "Have you received the coordinates of Oa yet, V?"

"Of course, master!" It burbled cheerily. "After your wonderful battle with that poor excuse of a Green Lantern, I took the liberty to absorb his ring's data. Let me tell you, it was a real pleasure decoding all those information and make it to good use."

Putting two and two together, Diana stared in disbelief at Naruto. "Wait, so you're telling me this thing is also installed in our rings as well?"

"Yup!" enthused the ring from Diana's finger. "I'm a supercomputer hailing from another universe. Master tore me apart and have me embedded into the rings so that I can serve all of his attendants well. I know almost everything. I can even work out your personality problems to ten decimal places and tell you how much burgers you need to put into your body to make you plus-size. Do you want me to proceed? Yes? Engage Lipids Analysis."

"V!" Diana interrupted. "Let's just focus on the task at hand, okay?"

"Oops!" The ring quipped. "Silly me. We'll get to the lipids analysis later. Right now, let's get the Scooby Doo Monster Truck going, shall we? Coordinates to Oa. Right away, Mistress Diana. Engage Hyperspace Protocol."

Naruto sighed. "Sorry. Vrill likes to… express himself."

A portal ripped open from the fabric of space and time before them, leading them to a white abyss.

-X.o.X.o.X.o.X-

The Assembly was perhaps the dullest affair that Ganthet had experienced. Every year, the Guardians of the Universe would come together and complain about everything they can possible think of. Frankly, Ganthet found the emptiness of space much livelier than attending one of these tortures. Since the Green Lanterns worshiped them, some of his peers were delighted to be chaperoned around by their handpicked champions.

Talk about self-inflating one's ego.

"You should stop with the brooding, Ganthet. It's unbecoming of you."

Ganthet rolled his eyes and said dryly. "I see that you aren't dead yet, Sayd. What a wonderful surprise."

Settling beside the snarky Oan, Sayd shook her head. "You would think being an immortal would give you a different perspective about life."

"Yeah. I have lived for thousands of years, Sayd. It gave me a butt-load of perspectives. Like for starters, why we are still alive? What's the point of our existence? Why does Appa float around like he has a five inch stick shove up between his cracks?" Ganthet sighed. "You have no idea what I would do just to have something interesting happen right this instance, Sayd."

Suddenly, a white light – so bright and blinding – flooded the hall. The next thing they knew, a red machete streaked past Ganthet and things went from zero to hundred in a blink of an eye.

Screams tore through the air and blood splattered across white marble walls. When the bloody head of the Green Lantern Medphyll rolled to Ganthet's feet, anxiety gripped his heart. Be careful what you wished for, because fate could be a real bitch sometimes. Glancing up, the Oan cursed to himself. "Fuck me sideways."

A man in an orange jacket appeared right before them, a maniacal grin drew from his lips. "Daddy's home!"


Author Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait! Busy with work and life. Just want to say thank you to all my readers out there who stayed loyal to my work and providing your reviews. Greatly appreciated it. Anyway, here you have it. The latest chapter. Hope you like it.

Pairing:
1.) NarutoXDiana
2.) NarutoXBarda
3.) NarutoXKara
4.) NarutoXDinah
5.) NarutoXHarem?

If you like this story, please drop a review down below and let me know how you feel!