Welcome, and sorry for the long as all heck wait. Once more, moving and having a dramatic family time bomb going off, but I am still here, and still able to give you my updates for Christmas. This time on KitsuneX… Pandora finally gets back together.

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It took a day, but Naruto finally found Private Hive. He was currently trying to take cover from a military group in the desert. Deciding to give him man a hand, he teleported in and took out the tanks, creating several clones to deal with the stragglers as they fled. Helping Private up to his feet, the blonde smirked. "Seems you've got yourself in a pickle there. How's work going?"

Groaning and rolling his shoulder a bit, the mercenary sighed. "Well, thanks to you, we'll be paid very well. But what brings you out here?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "Trigon's getting closer. Need you back to base for training. I'll have a clone escort you back after you get paid. We need all hands on deck."

Nodding and saluting, the mercenary went off to gather his paycheck, a clone walking with him. As he rapidly fled the scene, Naruto started looking for Cheshire. Having left long ago, he was starting to worry. She had said she was only going to be gone a year, but it has been far longer. It took almost three days, but he found information. And he didn't like it.

He was heading up a mountain, closing in on the last place he wanted to go to. "Assassins… Had to be fucking assassins. Sure it did, Cheshire has always been jealous of my ninja skills. Best damn ninja's being these assholes."

"And as long as his body hasn't rejected the pool just yet, Ra's is most certainly still in charge. Kit, don't underestimate a man who's trained his mind and body for over 600 years. But also, don't give him a single quarter. Remember the rules I gave you." Kyuubi was anxious, he didn't like they were roaming the world as Trigon got stronger.

As he found the fortress, Naruto sighed and took off his helmet. "I know…. HEY! All hundred of you idiots! I'm gonna give you all one chance! Either come out and talk to me like a normal person, or I take you all down in ten seconds!"

It only took five till someone started walking from the door. It was a woman with piercing eyes and a very confident walk. "What brings you to our home here? What leads you to seek the League of Assassins?"

Naruto shrugged. "A friend of mine was said to have come around. Let me talk to her, and regardless of what happens after that I get out of here without any fuss."

The woman could see that, though he was uncaring on the outside, he was very guarded. He had immense training. "And who would have come among us you know?"

"goes by the name Cheshire. If she kept her outfit on the way in, green kimono and white cat mask, black hair… Oh, and the ability to turn invisible. By the way, I said hundred off handily… If you think you can keep all one hundred and seventy-eight of your hidden jackrabbits from my sight, you're dead wrong." Naruto was hoping his observant nature would be enough to make them understand.

After a moment, the woman nodded. "You will first talk to our leader, Ra's Al Ghul. Then we will see if you can start talking to your friend…"

The two went into the fortress, and the blonde had to admit it was cozy. None of that high tech noise it was kind of similar to a lot of places in his old world to go relax. As the duo made their way to the main chamber, they were surrounded by dozens of assassins on either side of the room, leading to the man in a throne up ahead.

Walking up and kneeling, the woman bowed her head. "Father…"

Waving like it was normal in the city for him, Naruto just smiled. "Hey there. Your daughter could use the stick coming out of her ass, but hey. You do you, and I'll do me. Anyway, let's get down to it. I bet I already know what's going to happen."

Standing, the man walked down the steps. Ra's was slow and methodical. "You think so? Your actions in Metropolis are hardly a secret. You're a man at large, KitsuneX. Do you think I'll accept you into our ranks?"

Taking a deep breath, Naruto just shook his head. "Doesn't matter. See, The league's whole thing is a big loud gesture. Sure you all are hidden and play in the shadows, but when you're done with the smoke and mirrors, whole cities fall and become rubble. Not very subtle. Listen, whether you want me here or not, let me just answer that right here. I refuse to join you guys. I'm no asshole who wants to see the world burn, I'm just a thief. That out of the way, I am going to assume you'll either try and kill me where I stand or let me go. Let's go with the latter shall we but not until I finish my business here."

"And just what is your business here? You do not wish to join us, and you seem confident you cannot be killed." Ra's knew better but was hoping to give Naruto an impression.

Chuckling, the blonde rolled his head a little. "I probably could be killed, but not by your hands. I'm here to see a friend. Rumor has it she came to you. Cheshire. Once we finish our chat, then we can bargain on what happens after."

After a moment, Ra's turned to his daughter. "Bring her." As Talia left, the man himself let his guards take his coat. "Would you being here to talk to her, mean you want her to come back with you? I'm afraid to say she has come of her own free will, she won't leave us that easy."

"No doubt she came to you freely. It's the brainwashing you did after that concerns me. Though I'll even let that slide. She wanted to get better at being a shadow warrior, fine. But we've not seen her for years, and my team is my family. I talk to her, ask her to come back, and if she FREELY says no, then fine. But your brainwashing isn't getting in the way of her free will anymore. If she wants out of here to help me and our family, she gets that chance. It'll only be for a month, then she can return whenever she wants to."

Taking a few minutes of silence to glare at one another, Ra's could see the blonde was adamant. Not willing to budge on a single item on that list. Smirking, he had an idea. "No. I think not. You can speak to her and leave alone afterward. We are also family, and we won't let anyone take one of our own."

Flaring his chakra, causing many in the room to draw weapons, Naruto spoke plainly. "You wanna test me, Ra's? Fine. You ain't got too much longer before that pool of yours rejects you fully. By the time I get old and wrinkled, you'll be dead by old age and no way to reverse the damn process ever again. But you want to test me? Then I call upon the Rite of Choice. You win, you get to ask me of anything, I win, you know what the fuck I want. And I ain't budging on that shit. Got it?"

"The Rite of Choice? That is a very old Rite… But I accept. I win, you join us." Ra's had a plan to play unfairly to cause Naruto to forfeit. He just hoped it would work in his favor. He heard how crafty the blonde was.

Half an hour later, the two stood in nothing but their pants, bare feet, and bare upper body. The Rite was simple, as it was in the older days. If someone wished to have a choice in their own lives or the lives of others in their organization, opposing leadership, they would have to fight for that right. As with many Rites, it incorporated a competition of skill. Ra's quickly exploited his own part of the Rite. "We will use nothing but our bare fists, that is absolute…"

That said, Naruto was handed gloves. Kyuubi chuckled at this. "He's playing you Kit. You know this don't you?"

Tossing the gloves to the floor, the blonde smirked. "My fists are bare. Now, are we fighting, or are we doing something else?"

Ra's knew he would not be able to beat the blonde in a straight punching match, and his first attempt at tricking the blonde failed. He decided to go with something he'd been able to do s pain training for centuries. Two poles came up with spiked edges and pointed tips. "We'll be climbing these to their top, and staying there. The loser will fail first."

Naruto scoffed as he clamped his fists on either side of the pole he had, and started swinging his feet to climb it. Ra's, impressed, did the same. The two quickly made their way to the top and Naruto flipped upside down, closing his eyes as he clamped his fists on either side of the rounded tip, staying still as a calm creek.

The two stayed in like-minded positions for three hours, each of them still like stone, never faltering. Though Naruto quickly found himself starting to relax, and it took a moment where his fist nearly slipped to realize the air was permeated with something, and his body was reacting to a sleeping fatigue. Noticing this, he quickly started chewing hard on his tongue and shifting his thumbs inside his fists.

Ra's, still as tone, looked over at the shifting blonde, smirking. Though after so long, his body was starting to take its toll, and he was having trouble keeping his muscles from locking up and suddenly collapsing. He just had to wait till the hidden perfume to take its toll.

An hour later, however, Ra's was really in trouble, as his arms were shaking, his body sweating, his fists starting to slip, and not a sign that Naruto was going to fall except for the slow shifting of his fists. Suddenly, he heard a loud crack, and everyone watched as Naruto's thumb knuckle popped from his skin, causing blood to run down the poll.

Ra's finally understood, Naruto was keeping himself awake with pain, letting his body stay active. But just as that realization came, his elbows buckled, and he flipped off the poll and landed heavily on his knees. Seeing this, Naruto sighed and leaped from the poll, landing on his feet. Popping his thumb back, the blonde quickly healed. "I win. Nice try, trying to make me fall asleep up there with your scent-less sleep poison. My former friends tried that when I attempted to rest one night whilst on the run. Didn't work for them, didn't work for you. Now, as per the rules of the Rite, I get to speak to Cheshire."

"Still the show-off…" Turning, the blonde saw a robed figure, like all the rest, but as the hood came off, he saw a woman with piercing eyes and black hair. "What's going on here?"

Ra's stood and tended to his muscles burning in pain. "A friend of yours, he said. He wished to speak with you, and then leave here unharmed. And if you decided to leave with him, you would leave freely."

Frowning, the woman sighed and rubbed her head. "Naruto, I thought I said I was going to go train with the best. Why did you follow me?"

Glaring at the girl, Naruto stepped up to her. "Follow you? It's been how many years, and you've got some nerve to be saying that to me. Cheshire, you've been gone for a few years, we gave you your space, we have you the time to find and train with a master. You don't write, you don't let us know your ok? We were supposed to be friends, a group, a team, a family. Here you are strutting it up with these jackasses, and the first thing you do is accuse me of following you?"

Before she could speak, suddenly she was in a world of red and black, and they were in limbo. Looking around, Cheshire was kind of spooked. "What the hell…"

"We're in your head. Where time is practically at a standstill in reality, but we can stand here talking for days. Now, you're going to tell me everything. Why are you mad at me?" Naruto stood there in waiting.

After a moment, he got his answer. "Because, you're here in the league of assassins HQ, and wanting to talk to me after I said I was going to find a way to get stronger myself. I've still not completed my training."

"And your friends and family. Jinx, Gizmo, Private Hive, everyone, you throw them away and never look back? That's how you decide to treat us?" Naruto was getting pissed. Cheshire was never like this to them.

"It's not like I'm given much choice! Once I got in, I couldn't just come over for a visit! After a while, I suspected you'd all come find me anyway, but I don't see any of you for that long either, so don't make it out like you did me any favors!" It was clear she felt somewhat betrayed herself. Naruto knew his technique could get past brainwashing, let out the true inner emotions of the one he used it on. Now he was seeing his friend start to cry.

Wiping her tears, Cheshire just choked out her heart to the blonde. "The league's been drugging me since day one, treating me, driving me insane. I still choose to get stronger like I have been, to be as strong as the entire league combined. I have so much left to learn, but I miss you all so much… I felt like you had forgotten me."

Hugging the woman before him, Naruto sighed. "We felt you were just busy. We didn't want to bother you if you were under strenuous training and unable to talk. I see we should have at least found a way to you earlier. Don't worry… I'll get you out of here."

Suddenly the world turned white as he started undoing her brainwashing. It took only seconds in real life, but suddenly Cheshire fell to her knee's and gasped.

The league started to surround her, aiming their swords at the blonde, but he crossed his arms. "Out of the way. She's not your drugged up slave anymore."

Cheshire pushed her way through and hugged Naruto close. "Thank you…"

Ra's was shocked. "What's going on?"

Cheshire glared at the man as Naruto turned to him. "I freed her from your mind warping… We've had our talk." After the brainwashing was healed, he had spoken to her about everything that transpired for the team since her absence. She was on board to help fight this evil. "And we're going."

"That is for her to decide, not you." Turning to her, Ra's offered a hand. "You would leave your family here?"

"I have no family here. You were supposed to be a master, training me in the arts of the ninja. You've done that well. But I am not going to be stuck here anymore. I'm going to my true family. Goodbye. I will not be coming back." With that, the duo started leaving.

Ra's knew now he was the one who was tricked. But he could not stop them, as the Rite was public to the entire league present. He could not undo his leadership by his greed. But what he knew, was Naruto was the perfect replacement for him. Strong, unnerved, smart, and most of all skilled. He would find a way to bring him back and undergo changes to become the new head of the League.

XxX At Pandora HQ XxX

As the two walked in, the team turned to see Cheshire back, and they all came and started asking her how she was. IT was a bit overwhelming for her to see such care coming from them after so long, but she smiled.

Though as she came in she noticed a new addition, a woman with black hair who flew up to her. "Hey there. Heard a lot about you from the others, you're Cheshire, right? Names Blackfire."

Having undergone mental training during her conditioning, she had to question. "Why does that sounds similar to Starfire?"

"Because she's my goody-two-shoes sister." Blackfire landed and put a handout. "pleased to meet you."

Shaking the Tamaranian's hand, Cheshire smiled. "Glad to have you. Always need another strong arm."

Clapping, Naruto took attention. "Today's rest and regroup day. But I want you all ship shape tomorrow. We start our final preparations. Got it?" As they all agreed, he smiled. "Good. Now, I'll make a big dinner, have fun and get your bodies refreshed. Catch up and be yourselves."

The team did just that. Games and fun, having laughs. Cheshire smiled as she felt such warmth. She hadn't felt such for so long. Even though she was caught up with Naruto and the situation, she had fun and was amazed how much everyone else grew. Jinx was embarrassing a new look and even had a more toned body, Gizmo was growing a little facial hair, and Private Hive was much less militaristic. In fact, he was about ready to undergo a big change as he put it.

She even noticed the new attitude of the blonde leader, much more free-spirited, smiling way more, and even relaxing around them. And she noticed he and Jinx were finally together. It was a great night for the team to catch up and finally be together in the same room first time in years.

XxX Elsewhere XxX

Though they were not the only ones regrouping, as Slade was nearing his ultimate goal under his master's command. He lit the final church ablaze and crushed the last seal. He finally opened the ritual chamber. "With this, we're ready… Tomorrow night, Trigon finally appears, upon Raven's final hour…"

His daughter, however, was having trouble thinking. Her father was back, but he was beating her like she was a bug to be squashed, her body broken and bruised and her power fluctuating as she was trying to focus. Her mind reeling from her torment, but her broken mind was still clinging to the hope her father had plans for her, as his daughter and greatest student. "Yes… We'll be ready to bring Trigon forth and bring you back to life fully. With even greater power."

"Stupid girl, this is just the beginning. Trigon's going to give much more than he has, I'll see to that. He will grant me more than I could ever imagine, the power to rival KitsuneX, that blonde ninja who thinks he is so great. We bring him to Trigon and force the Kyuubi out of hiding. And Trigon will make me immortal!"

Power hungry, Slade was laughing as his body caught flame. He was happily imagining the suffering of all who made him suffer, of the Titans and of the Hive. "I will make them beg for forgiveness, make them suffer to the point they wish to die, and then grant them when they are at their worst suffering, sweet mercy and death. Make them feel what I felt!"

Seeing her father so crazily unstable, Ravager could only hope he would include her and praise her for her contribution, and hope he would not beat her yet again. "I cannot fathom how much he has suffered, but please… Do not let him make me suffer when he finally gets what he wants. I will give him everything to that end, please let him understand…"

XxX With Raven XxX

The Titans, her friends who formed her team, had done everything for her, put her in a room to protect her, based on everything they knew of the magic Trigon and her had. She was rather impressed by such devotion to keeping her safe. But all was not well. Her father was still clawing at her mind, still pulling her to his arrival. She knew she was there, in the future, she had tempted a spell, risking the life of someone to hope she was not gone, was not destroyed. But her father kept telling her he had much more planned for her, many more worlds to conquer. She may have given the future Batman into the hands of Trigon, an evil version of herself by accident. She could be corrupted. "I cannot let that happen, but… What if it's fruitless? What if I only make things worse? I cannot let it happen but… My friends… Donna, Starfire, Cyborg… Superboy… Everyone. I cannot let them get hurt just because I am afraid. What if he makes them suffer as I wait in this room? What do I do?..."

Sadly for her, he would do just that. Thanks to Slade's crushing of the seals, he had given enough of an opening in the astral plane for many demons to start pouring into the world. And as the sun set, they started their assault.

XxX The Realm of Hell XxX

Trigon knew he could not take the Kyuubi on when he first arrives. He would require as big a force as possible, and none were so large as the Realm of Hell's army, ever immortal and reforming, ever fierce. He stood before several robed figures. "I have a proposition to make… Your goal and my own, they are not so different. The only thing different is who rules afterward."

In a loud whisper, a force of nature made vocal, growling as they spoke, the Council of Hell asked. "What would you have us do for you, and what would we get in return?"

Smirking, Trigon knew of their troubles. "I bring the DoomSlayer out of Hell, to a realm that does not have the ability to make their own way here. He will no longer bother you. You follow me to that same realm as I take over, and stop a demon of great power from stopping me. As the DoomSlayer is stuck without a way to stop you, and my own rule absolute, I will grant my remaining army to help you conquer the next realm and dimension of your choosing. What say you?"

It took so little time, as the offer was so tempting. The Council of Hell spoke their final words before vanishing. "Open the path… We will do the rest."

With an armor of Hell Knights and Cacodemons, Trigon hoped an immortal army such as Hell's would provide just enough to beat the Kyuubi and his puppet. Little did he know, there were other forces to contend with, forces that would hold back his army as he fought the Kyuubi. He would find out just what resistance was still available when he arrived.

XxX Pandora HQ XxX

The team was gathered around as Naruto explained what he was doing. "Trigon's power is immense, no doubt he'll try to use everything in the books to stop any and all resistance. Raven will probably provide her team with protection from her own father, but we're not so lucky to have her around to help us. Which is why I am going to use the Kyuubi's power with my own to grant us all immunity to his magic. He will not be able to stop us with magic alone. He will need to crush us in a fight before we fall. But only if we wear this seal."

Naruto had drawn such on a big piece of paper. He took a deep breath. "The power is so immense it needs to be big. So I have to ask you all to show me your bare backs. That is the only way this fits."

After a few moments, the team turned and took their tops off. Shego had to scowl at Kid to stop him from turning and staring at her assets, but otherwise, they were still. They knew the risks, they knew what needed to be done. It didn't take long before the Seal was placed on them all. Putting their tops back on, the team turned to see Naruto sitting down. Jinx came to him. "You ok?"

Nodding, the blonde just was short of breath. "Huge power draw. Had to set up a few clones with Nature Energy to do it. I'll be fine. Just need a quick rest. Everyone, get your gear and get ready to move out. The moment he comes in, we're going to be thrown into the deep end."

Said moment came quickly, as suddenly the team was experiencing a quake, and their base was turning to rubble. Quickly, Naruto teleported them all out to see the world crumble before them, and the people turning to stone statues. It was the apocalypse of Trigon's making, and it was immensely powerful.

The seals working, the team looked at each other and noticed they were still perfectly fine. Putting on his mask, Naruto nodded. "Alright… Let's go find the Titans. We need to see how they fared."

XxX With Trigon XxX

"But our deal!"

"It turned void the moment you attempted to turn against me or ask for more than we agreed. You will suffer for your insolence." Trigon rose his hand. Slade, who was quite angry at being betrayed, was suddenly zapped of his powers and was now a weak corpse still walking, as he tried to get up and walk to the giant demon. "You'll be the first to understand the consequences of your actions. Now, suffer."

Giant hulks of flesh and blood, talons grabbing the mercenary, Hell Knights took him towards his new prison.

As the Demons were closing in on their portal, suddenly their heads rolled and their bodies vanished. Standing, Slade saw his daughter, walking to him. "Father… Let's go. We must leave."

Standing slowly, the Mercenary shook his head. "No… Now, we fight back. But we have to be smart. And… We'll need allies."

Looking at their surroundings, his daughter was flabbergasted. "Where!? Everyone on earth is gone! Only we stand against him, and your powers were taken! We stand no chance!"

"I beg to differ…" Knowing full well there was still one who had an ace up their sleeves for this day, the man behind the mask grinned. "We've fought against that blonde with demonic powers. We help him and his demon master, the Kyuubi, to fight Trigon. Come, we need to hurry. Faster we find him, faster we show Trigon what it means to suffer…"

Ravager was not liking this. Her father was insane, thinking Naruto would even think to help them, he hated both of them, why would he help them at all? But as always, she did not question it vocally and accepted it simply by following him. "Yes… Father."

XxX Extra Scene: Slayer of Demons, New Hell XxX

He had chased a Titan into a portal, seeing them begin attacking earth anew. With his trusty double barrel, the DoomSlayer stepped through, only to find a world of ruin before him. In his head, he wondered whether or not he was too late. But he noticed no landmarks that he knew, he noticed no technology able to create portals, able to draw energy, no supreme power, and organization. Just ruin, and it was unlike the very ruin he had viewed and tore through during the first invasions.

But he noticed not everything was dissimilar, as many demons he had killed and ripped to shreds over and over again were flying around, picking through the rubble and destroying everything in their path. They were looking for something. Checking to make sure he had shells in the barrels, the DoomSlayer quickly ran and jumped to street level, and began his carnage anew as he tore through a Cacodemon's eye and blasted a Hell Knight's skull into a bloody mess. All the while, one phrase kept going through his mind. "RIP AND TEAR!"

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Merry Christmas! I know, a little short, and it was ALL over the place, but had to get the right perspectives, and everything is done right. Besides, I am kind of losing time. This is the third chapter I finished out of my 6 chapters to complete, and it's 6 days till upload. I have 2 days a chapter from now on to get the other 3 done. So forgive me if I'm just a LITTLE rushed. I will say I am polishing these chapters as best I can before I float them out, so if there are still issues... I apologize and will do my best to fix them. See ya guys later!